Ex-Heat Forward Jae Crowder Pulls No Punches After Playoff Benching

Getty Jae Crowder is defended by Tyler Herro during a first-round playoff series between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks.

As if losing in the first round as a part of a No. 1 seed and expected title contender wasn’t enough, Jae Crowder, Goran Dragic and Meyers Leonard of the Milwaukee Bucks were forced to endure an additional layer of awkwardness amid their club’s shocking series loss to the Miami Heat.

The trio spent time previously in South Beach, after all, and famously helped get the Heat to the NBA Finals in 2020.

Crowder was arguably dealt the worst hand of the bunch, though. Having been acquired at the trade deadline with the understanding that he would play a major role in a title push, the veteran forward was instead dropped from the rotation against the Heat who, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, held interest in bringing him back pre-trade.

Clearly, the former Heat baller was taken aback by the switcheroo.

“I’ve never been in a situation like that,” Crowder told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel post-elimination. “Eleven years. Check my resume, I’ve been playing. I’ve always been playing… I’m very confused as to why I was brought here. I don’t know my purpose here and why I was brought here…

“I wasn’t expecting that, DNPs. I haven’t had them in my career, so why start now?”

Ex-Heat F Jae Crowder Played Well Down the Stretch of the Regular Season, Then Became a Forgotten Man During the Playoffs

Following his abbreviated stint with the Heat during the 2019-20 campaign, Crowder elected to take his game to Phoenix, where he made a return trip to the Finals as a member of the Suns in 2021. After ceding minutes/touches to Cameron Johnson in 2021-22, however, Crowder requested a trade coming into this season.

The Suns finally made good on that request in February, sending him to the Bucks. And despite the fact that he had been sitting out since his former team’s 2022 playoff run ended, Crowder became a quick contributor in Milwaukee.

In 18 games (and three starts) for the Bucks to close out the campaign, the 32-year-old averaged 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest. Meanwhile, he sunk 47.9% of his shot attempts overall and 43.6% of his three-point tries, logging a career-best effective field-goal percentage of 60.6 as a result.

His postseason line left a whole lot to be desired, though, as Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer went away from the vet. Over four postseason appearances, Crowder averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in 10.3 MPG and his conversion rate dropped to just 23.1%.

Crowder was DNP-CDd during Game 4 and played all of 18 seconds in Game 5 against the Heat.

Heat Legend Dwyane Wade Explains Reasoning for Moving His Family Out of Florida

Dwyane Wade’s Heat GOAT status was cemented long before the baller was announced as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2023 class, but the Miami legend no longer calls South Florida home.

In a recent interview with Rachel Nichols, the 13-time All-Star cited state lawmakers pushing anti-LGBTQ+ agendas as a major factor in the decision to leave, noting the impact on people like his 15-year-old daughter, Zaya — who came out as transgender in 2020 — and their families/friends.

“That’s another reason why I don’t live in that state,” Wade told Nichols. “A lot of people don’t know that. I have to make decisions for my family, not just personal, individual decisions… I mean, obviously, the tax [situation] is great. Having Wade County is great. But my family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there.

“So, that’s one of the reasons why I don’t live there.”