Could Brogdon or Smart have provided the same stuff as Jrue this postseason? I think so.
The team always overachieved with Smart on the court because of his passion and his ability to make big plays in the most important moments. I know people are happy to be rid of him, but I think he is a considerably better player than Jrue - not even taking into account contract or age.
I personally questioned the Jrue trade when we made it and I still feel that way. I realize we would have needed Brogdon and TL to remain relatively healthy, but we also gave up our two best 1st round picks in addition to those guys.
Bucks fans were pretty vocal about how much Jrue disappears (or worse) in the playoffs and so far he hasn't been impressive at all. We had to offer him an albatross contract because we gave up so much to get him. He has been disappointing imo and certainly not the all-star (or Team USA player lol) that we thought we were getting. He hasn't sacrificed, he just has a low ceiling and is massively overrated in NBA circles.