The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t make many moves during this week’s NBA trade deadline but they did add Jae Crowder, who had been sitting benched by the Phoenix Suns for months now following a contract dispute.
Getting Crowder could help the Bucks out a lot, as he is a sizable and reliable roleplayer who is ready to play hard.
But apparently, Crowder wasn’t Milwaukee’s first choice this week.
“In the last several days the Bucks actually pursued Fred VanVleet with the Raptors, I’m told.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports on Milwaukee’s pursuit of the Raptors veteran point guard ahead of the Trade Deadline. pic.twitter.com/x18gBL2ek6
— The Rally (@TheRally) February 9, 2023
Shams Charania reported that the Bucks were working hard to land Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.
Speaking to Bally Sports, Charania said, “In the last several days the Bucks actually pursued Fred VanVleet with the Raptors, I’m told.”
He added that the Bucks were negotiating for a long time with the Raptors and were even trying to make a deal throughout Thursday.
They assumed, like many others, that the Raptors could be open to trading away VanVleet, blowing up their team, and starting from scratch.
When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, the Bucks gave up on the star and moved on to Crowder instead.
It is interesting that the Raptors held onto the roster they have now.
For months, fans were expecting something substantial to happen in Toronto.
The team has been lagging all season long and the idea of big changes seems inevitable.
But it is obvious these changes will come in the summer.
It’ll be then that renewed interest and fresh rumors about VanVleet and his future will surface.
Will he head down to the Bucks or will another team be the one that lands him?
The Bucks did well by adding Crowder and even though he was their second choice, he could still do a lot for them.
NEXT: The Bucks Keep Building Up Their Record
