Jae Crowder was confident that he wouldn’t spend too much time with the Brooklyn Nets this season.
Crowder, who previously spent three seasons with the Boston Celtics, was initially dealt to Brooklyn from the Phoenix Suns in part of the blockbuster trade involving Kevin Durant. That swap put an end to Crowder’s reported back-and-forth with the Suns’ organization, which kept him sidelined for the entirety of his time spent this season in Phoenix.
But when Crowder was set to join a dismantled Nets team, which was reduced to an afterthought in the Eastern Conference, his time with the organization didn’t even last 24 hours. A departure he confidently envisioned with no desire to play for the Nets.
“Not a chance,” Crowder said, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “Look how many guys over there you got looking at me. I ain’t got time for that.”
The experienced veteran was dealt to the Bucks in exchange for five second-round draft selections in a three-team trade. The full-circle swap returned Crowder to an NBA Finals contender in the Eastern Conference. He’s just two years removed from back-to-back NBA Finals appearances as a member of the Miami Heat and Suns.
During his most recent playoff appearance with the Suns last season, Crowder averaged 9.4 points and shot 40% from the field with 4.7 rebounds in 13 games.
Knowing that he could play a similar role in a deep playoff push this year, Crowder was thrilled at the opportunity presented in Milwaukee.
“I landed where I wanted at the end of the day,” Crowder said. “I think I gained just knowing myself as a player and my mental. I never wavered. Never wavered the process. From a month, to two months. … I stayed with the plan of what it was and what I wanted to accomplish.”
