MILWAUKEE, Wis. — With the 2024-25 season right around the corner, former Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder still hasn’t signed with any NBA franchise.

While there is still time left for a team to sign the former Marquette star to a deal to join them for training camp, the odds are slim with each passing day. Once a valuable rotational ”three-and-D” player, Crowder’s value has greatly depreciated since spending a year and a half with Milwaukee.

Less than two seasons ago, Crowder was one of the hottest names when it came to trade talks. The Bucks wound up giving five second-round picks and a trio of players for Crowder in a four-team deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Phoenix Suns at the deadline.

There was a time over the past year and a half that the Milwaukee Bucks thought bringing in Crowder could make a real difference.

That time is long gone.

Shipping off five second-round picks as well as three players for Crowder was viewed by many as a huge swing that ultimately landed flat.

Instead of going down in Bucks history as a player who made championship-level impact such as P.J. Tucker, who was traded to the Bucks ahead of the deadline before helping the team win the 2021 NBA Championship, Crowder never found his footing.

After a solid season in 2021-22 with the Phoenix Suns, where he averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals over 28.1 minutes per game over 67 games, Crowder’s numbers took a steep dive in Milwaukee.

Since joining the Bucks during the middle of the 2022-23 season, Crowder went on to average 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.7 steals in 18 games. He followed that up by averaging 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.8 steals per game last season in 50 games played during his final season with Milwaukee.

Crowder’s performance was especially bad in the postseason. Through two payoffs trips with the Bucks, Crowder averaged a mere 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per contest. It’s certainly not the production Milwaukee envisioned when unloading the haul of picks and players for the NBA veteran.

As a result of his poor showing in Milwaukee, Crowder remains a free agent now. His chances of joining a new team remain slim as each day continues to pass. In hindsight, the Bucks could have used their package of second-round picks better somewhere else.

Despite looking like a terrible trade in retrospect, there’s no faulting Milwaukee’s front office for trying to take a big swing on a well-known commodity that, at the time, looked like he could be an excellent addition as a rotational piece.

At the same token, there’s no denying this trade was a huge mistake as evident by Crowder’s availability this deep into the offseason.

MILWAUKEE – One 18-year-old was killed and another was wounded in separate Milwaukee shootings on Friday, Aug. 30.

Police are still investigating what led to each shooting and looking for the people responsible.

36th and Silver Spring

An 18-year-old was shot just before 5 p.m. Police said the victim was taken to a hospital with non-fatal injuries.

36th and Burleigh

Shortly after 7 p.m., another 18-year-old was shot. Police said the victim died at a hospital despite lifesaving attempts.

MPD tips

Anyone with information is asked to call MPD at 414-935-7360; to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 tips app.

A Milwaukee teenager charged in the death last year of 5-year-old Prince McCree will be tried as an adult.

An attorney for Erik Mendoza, 16, on Friday withdrew his May 10 request to have the case against his client waived into juvenile court.

“I don’t have the horses to proceed” with the waiver process, Milwaukee lawyer Scott Anderson said during a hearing Friday.

Mendoza’s case will be transferred from Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Laura Gramling Perez, who typically handles matters in Children’s Court, to Judge Michelle A. Havas.

Here’s what happened to Prince McCree

Prince was reported missing from his home in the 2400 block of North 54th Street in Milwaukee on Oct. 25. His body was found the next morning about a mile south, on the 5500 block of West Vliet Street.

Police and prosecutors say in court documents Mendoza played an active role in beating Prince to death with a barbell, a 70-pound concrete birdfeeder and a golf club.

Mendoza is charged with two first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime, as well as other felonies, including physical abuse of a child, abusing a corpse and recklessly endangering safety.

Another man was charged in Prince McCree’s death

David Pietura, 27, pleaded guilty in June to first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime. He was given a life sentence.

Prosecutors say Pietura and Mendoza were living with Prince and his family at the time of the attack.

What is Wisconsin’s law about juvenile defendants?

State law allows for children as young as 10 to be charged as adults for certain serious crimes, at least to start the case. Those crimes include first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide.

Lesser charges, such as attempted first-degree reckless homicide or attempted second-degree intentional homicide, start in juvenile court.

Wisconsin is one of only three states that require all 17-year-old criminal defendants to be charged as adults.

What’s next for Erik Mendoza?

Perez ordered Mendoza to undergo a psychological evaluation after Anderson indicated he thought his client may lack the mental capacity to aid in his defense.

He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 3 after a report on the doctor’s findings has been completed.

How many children have been homicide victims in Milwaukee?

There were 172 homicides reported in the city of Milwaukee in 2023. Of them, 16 involved victims under 17 – three of whom were younger than 10, Milwaukee police records show.

So far in 2024, the city has seen 77 homicides through Thursday, 12 of which involved victims under 17. Of them, two were 9 years old or younger.

In 2022, a year that Milwaukee saw 215 total homicides, 23 children under 17 were victims, Milwaukee police data shows.