National Basketball Association

What Are Bulls Getting in Michael Carter-Williams?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:51 p.m. ET

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Jan 5, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. The Bulls won 117-106. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Over this past weekend, not only did the Chicago Bulls play against the Milwaukee Bucks, they traded with the Bucks for point guard Michael Carter-Williams. What are the Bulls acquiring in this deal other than a former rookie of the year?

In the third game of his NBA career, Michael Carter-Williams led the woeful Philadelphia 76ers back from a 15-point halftime deficit against the Chicago Bulls. Carter-Williams scored 26 points, dished out 10 assists, racked up three steals, and attempted to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in his first full week on the job as a pro (which he would go on to do) and new savior of 76ers basketball.

Skip ahead in the film, and three years later, the poor-shooting Carter-Williams finds himself on one of the league’s worst-shooting teams.

The deal wasn’t made official until Monday, but the Chicago Bulls traded often-criticized wing and plus-minus king Tony Snell to the Milwaukee Bucks for Michael Carter-Williams, and thus giving the Bulls another ball-handling option that can’t shoot this season.

What are the Bulls thinking by trading a stoic, not-really-an-NBA-level player to a division rival for a rangy point guard that’s a worse shoot from the behind the arc than the “Three Alphas”?

At this point, who knows what the Bulls front office is thinking other than taking a flier on a 25-year-old point guard with length that’s a good pick-and-roll defender as a lead guard.

In this breakdown, we’ll take a look at the positives and negatives of Michael Carter-Williams’ addition, including the thought of him locking down the backup point guard position.

Feb 20, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) reacts after scoring against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half at Philips Arena. The Bucks defeated the Hawks 117-109 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

MCW could be the best option behind Rajon Rondo at point guard

There’s a few positives with the addition of Carter-Williams.

One, he has three years of NBA experience already. Denzel Valentine is a rookie (and currently nursing a sore ankle), Isaiah Canaan packs a solid scoring punch off the bench, Jerian Grant hardly played for the New York Knicks last season and has struggled, and Spencer Dinwiddie has 46 NBA appearances under his belt.

Valentine has shown promise in a minuscule amount, Dinwiddie has looked good during the preseason, but Carter-Williams might be the best option at the backup point guard position right now.

Despite an inflation of numbers playing for the worst team in the NBA in 2013-14, MCW did show promise in being a “versatile player” (as Fred Hoiberg described him on Monday).

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The Athletic‘s Sean Highkin noted in his column on Saturday night that Carter-Williams not only ranked 12th among point guards in ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus (defensive RPM) last season, he ranked in the 88th percentile as a pick-and-roll defender, per Synergy Sports.

Some of the names that MCW ranked higher than in defensive RPM last year? John Wall, Mike Conley, Kemba Walker and … Rajon Rondo (who finished 29th last season).

Carter-Williams isn’t in Chicago for his shooting. That part is clear. He’s a 25 percent 3-point shooter in his career, which is worse than Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler have shot in their careers.

He’s here because he’s on an expiring deal (like Snell) and can provide a defensive presence in the back court this season; something the Bulls are going to need after last year’s travesty of a defensive performance.

Feb 25, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) dribbles the ball as Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner (11) defends during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Carter-Williams’ shooting in his career provides another headache

Stop me when you’ve heard this before: The Chicago Bulls can’t shoot.

In terms of personnel on paper before the regular season gets going, the Bulls might be the worst-shooting team in the NBA.

Carter-Williams won’t improve that overall thought. He’s a 41.2 percent shooting overall in his career so far and has made 106 of the 416 total 3-pointers up to this point. That’s not great.

Throw that in there with the Rondo/Wade/Butler trio — all sub-33 percent 3-point shooters — and the Bulls are going need Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic‘s production more than ever this season. The NBA has continued to evolve and shooting is needed now more than ever.

So, the Bulls answer that with their summer acquisitions that have been well-documented already, and now another young guard that struggling putting the ball in the basket.

That totally makes sense, GarPax.

(Also, a note: Carter-Williams has already had two serious surgeries in his young career; one being a surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip this past March. It should probably be noted because of the Bulls’ infamous issues with player injuries in recent years.)

The upside for the Bulls is that this could just be a one-year trial of MCW. He’s in line for a qualifying offer next summer (as he’s still on his rookie deal from the 2013-14 season), but bringing in yet another ball-handler that can’t create his own shot and a below-average finisher at the rim doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

But, when you’re trying to dump Tony Snell, you’re not going to get much back anyway.

Case and point? This.

From preseason game two weeks ago, MCW tries to take Snell 1-on-1. Funny to think both management teams were watching this intently. pic.twitter.com/mXera4lQu1

— Stephen Noh (@hungarianjordan) October 17, 2016