7 recent events that show Rockets need a wake-up call

3. Bucks acquire Jae Crowder from Nets for haul of second-round picks

After being a part of the Phoenix Suns' title runs in both 2021 and 2022, Jae Crowder decided he was ready for a change. Crowder, who is known to be a great vet in the locker room, announced that he wasn't going to attend training camp, as he was in the final year of his deal and wanted a change of scenery.

Crowder and the Suns came to a mutual agreement that the team would seek a trade, meaning he didn't have to be around the team. This was essentially the same agreement that the Rockets and John Wall reached (although the Rockets were never able to find a trade partner for Wall).

Crowder was eventually dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for five second-round picks (!), which seems like a steep asking price. The Bucks, however, had dealt four second-round picks in 2019 for Nikola Mirotic, and had no qualms about shelling out as many as necessary to land their guy.

In this case, the Bucks had been envisioning someone to play the role that P.J. Tucker played for them during their championship season and hoped Crowder could be a similar 3-and-D power forward. Crowder ultimately only played 18.9 minutes in Milwaukee but made 43.6 percent of his triples (on 3.1 attempts) and averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.

Crowder and the Bucks reached a new deal in free agency, securing the 33-year-old for another season in the Cream City.