Will Jae Crowder stay with the Milwaukee Bucks or go somewhere else?

Jae Crowder has a tough decision to make regarding which team he’ll play for next season.

The Milwaukee Bucks' rugged 3-and-D forward Jae Crowder at the NBA’s trade deadline for a truckload of second-round picks and promising wingman Jordan Nwora. Experts pegged him to be a solid part of the rotation owing to his veteran experience and tough-as-nails defense that would do well against the Eastern Conference’s lethal scorers, such as James Harden and Jayson Tatum.

However, that didn’t happen. The 11-year-veteran played just 19 minutes per game in the regular season before being essentially relegated to a spectator on the bench in the Bucks’ humiliating five-game loss to the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

Now an unrestricted free agent, Crowder has a tough decision to make when it comes to where he should sign next season.

Confused about his role

At the end of it all, Crowder didn’t sound like a man who was keen on returning to the Bucks.

"I'm very confused as to why I was brought here," said Crowder, who averaged just 10 minutes per game against the Heat. "I don't know my purpose here and why I was brought here."

At 33 years old, this may be Crowder’s last chance at a significant payday, which means he may be looking for a team that can offer him both a starting role and financial stability.

New coach, new beginnings?

With Adrian Griffin taking over the Bucks’ coaching reins, it’s unclear what kind of system he will implement. But it could be just the change Crowder needs to find a better fit for him and show why he’s one of the more respected players in the league. It remains to be seen if Griffin is willing to give Crowder an opportunity or if he has another plan in mind.

Either way, the Bucks have some tough decisions to make this summer, and Crowder looks to be a part of that equation.