Michael Carter-Williams joined the Chicago Bulls’ remade roster on Monday when the Milwaukee Bucks traded the former NBA Rookie of the Year for shooting guard Tony Snell.
Carter-Williams, acquired by the Bucks in February 2015 from the 76ers, underwent left hip surgery in March and lost the starting point guard job twice in Milwaukee last season. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
“We’re excited to add Michael to our roster,” said Gar Forman, general manager of the Bulls. “He is a two-way player who adds versatility and depth to our backcourt rotation.”
Snell fell out of the rotation in Chicago, where the Bulls were looking for size and playmaking ability behind one of their free-agent guards, Rajon Rondo. Chicago’s reserves have played well at the guard positions in preseason, including Spencer Dinwiddie, Jerian Grant and Isaiah Canaan. All three are better perimeter shooters than Carter-Williams, who has a career 3-point average of just 25.5 percent.
Outside shooting is not a strength of Chicago’s starters. Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler have mid-range games, as does Carter-Williams.
The Bucks filled the point guard spot twice-over in the offseason, signing free agent Matthew Dellavedova from the Cleveland Cavaliers and drafting Virginia point guard Malcolm Brogdon.
Coach Jason Kidd said last week that Carter-Williams never has trouble fitting in.
“We’ve asked him to do a lot of different things. He started for us,” Kidd said before the trade. “We’ve asked him to come off the bench. He’s one of the better defenders in this league. He’s a team guy. He’s about winning.”
Rookie first-round pick Denzel Valentine is a combination guard but a foot injury limited his time this month.
Snell and Carter-Williams are eligible for extensions on their rookie contracts.
Milwaukee was looking for help at shooting guard and small forward, even with Jabari Parker back from a torn knee ligament, with Khris Middleton likely to be out until at least the All-Star break.