Former Rookie of the Year award winner Michael Carter-Williams has reportedly been traded to the Chicago Bulls. Bulls small forward Tony Snell has been sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Carter-Williams. This is already the second time that Carter-Williams has been traded in his three-year NBA career.
The deal was confirmed by Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com on Sunday morning.
Michael Carter-Williams Traded to the Chicago Bulls
Carter-Williams, 25, has had some highs and some lows in his NBA career. After having a good rookie year, the future looked bright for Carter-Williams. In the two seasons since that rookie year, however, Carter-Williams has struggled to stay healthy. He’s played just 120 games in the last two seasons, leading to Carter-Williams being traded twice in his young career.
Last season, Carter-Williams averaged 11.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game in just 54 games.
The Bulls made this deal because the team is looking for a solid backup for Rajon Rondo. On the other hand, the Bucks added Snell to help out on the wing. Milwaukee lost starter Kris Middleton to a long-term injury, so Snell adds necessary depth. Middleton is a key player for the Bucks. The injury has led to the Bucks adding both Snell and Michael Beasley in recent weeks.
With the addition of Carter-Williams, the Bulls have added another good player. However, Carter-Williams also brings problems. The Bulls lack three-point shooters; Carter-Williams simply cannot shoot the three ball. Last season, Carter Williams shot just 27.3 percent from beyond the arc. Chicago’s last remaining reliable three-point shooters are forwards Nikola Mirotic and Doug McDermott. But with both McDermott and Mirotic set to come off the bench, the Bulls starting line-up seems to have little to no three-point shooting.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg enters the season on the hot seat. The Bulls missed the playoffs last season, finishing with a record of 42-40. Hoiberg has a difficult season ahead, as the Bulls try to make it back to the NBA playoffs.
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