Former Wisconsin big man Steven Crowl spent the entire previous season with the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G-League affiliate. Though he never received a call-up to the Jazz, he held his own in Salt Lake City, appearing in 31 games while logging over 24 minutes per night and posting averages of 6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. When the season wrapped up, Utah chose not to extend him a new contract, and he was released into free agency.
That departure left many speculating whether Crowl would finally pursue an international career, given that he could likely thrive in various overseas leagues and potentially emerge as a standout. He even could have joined Max Klesmit, his teammate in Salt Lake City last season, in heading abroad. Instead, his agent secured him a fresh NBA opportunity at least for the summer as Crowl inked a Summer League deal with the Detroit Pistons. Let’s take a closer look.
Former Badger Steven Crowl signs NBA Summer League agreement with Detroit Pistons
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Standing 7 feet tall, Crowl brings a respectable defensive presence even at the NBA level. He never developed into a dominant force or a statistical monster during his college days at Wisconsin, but he understands how to leverage his frame in ways that generate genuine NBA interest. That’s precisely why a second NBA franchise now wants to evaluate his upside.
Big men often require several years to fully adapt to the demands of the NBA game, and you simply can’t teach height at 7 feet. If Crowl can refine his touch and carve out a specific niche, he might follow a trajectory similar to that of fellow Badger alum Micah Potter. Potter is now in his sixth NBA season and is only beginning to produce meaningful minutes. His stint with Indiana has featured some contractual fluctuations, yet he’s demonstrated that he belongs as a productive NBA player. Could Crowl possess comparable potential?
A strong summer league performance will be essential for Crowl to make that case. Unlike last year, when he secured an Exhibit-10 deal that all but assured him a G-League roster spot, he doesn’t enjoy that same security this time around. His current agreement covers only the summer months. He’ll need to impress the Detroit Pistons enough to earn a contract beyond that whether in the NBA or with their G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
The NBA Summer League officially gets underway today, July 9th, with the Pistons among the first teams to hit the floor at 4:30 CT this evening. Detroit faces off against the Philadelphia 76ers, and Crowl will get his initial taste of game action and his first real chance to demonstrate he belongs. Should this path not pan out, he may very well have to seriously consider following Klesmit overseas after all.
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