Bucks acquire Crowder in deal with Nets, Pacers

Jae Crowder, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets from the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, again was on the move Thursday as he was dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks, it was announced.

“IT’S TIME TO WORK!!!” Crowder, who played in college at Marquette University, posted to Twitter on Thursday. “I’M GLAD TO BE BACK HOME!!”

The move was part of a multiteam trade that included the Indiana Pacers.

The Bucks are giving up five second-round picks — three to the Pacers and two (2028 and 2029) to the Nets, who also got the draft rights to guard Juan Pablo Vaulet from the Pacers. Indiana also gets forward Jordan Nwora, guard George Hill and center/forward Serge Ibaka from the Bucks, as well as cash considerations from the Nets.

Crowder, who hasn’t played all season after agreeing with the Suns to sit out while Phoenix explored trades for the veteran forward, was dealt to Nets on Wednesday night as part of the trade package sent by the Suns for All-NBA forward Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.

Crowder is in the final season of his contract but was facing a diminished role with the emergence of forward Cameron Johnson, one of the several factors that may have led to Crowder’s request for a trade.

He returns to Milwaukee, where he averaged 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds for Marquette during the 2011-12 season as he was an AP second-team All-America selection.

Crowder played a key role in helping the Suns make the NBA Finals in 2021 but saw his scoring and shooting numbers dip slightly the following season.

The 6-foot-6 wing is known for his strong defense and has extensive experience playing deep into the postseason; he’s seen minutes in more than 100 playoff games and has started 86 for five different franchises. His nine consecutive seasons appearing in the postseason are tied for the fifth-longest active streak.

Nwora, 24, is averaging 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game this season. Hill, 36, is averaging 5.0 points and 2.5 assists in 19.1 minutes per game, while the 33-year-old Ibaka, who hasn’t played since Jan. 1, is averaging 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16 games.

The Pacers have waived Goga Bitadze, James Johnson and Terry Taylor to make room on their roster.