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Michael Carter-Williams Traded For Tony Snell

The Bucks have just gotten even younger.

In case you haven’t heard, they’ve traded Michael Carter-Williams for Tony Snell from the Bulls, straight up. Rumors of the swap surfaced over the weekend, right after the Bucks’ preseason loss to Chicago, but the deal was finalized today. What does this mean for the Bucks?

First and foremost, this trade most likely and most interestingly means that Matthew Dellavedova will be Milwaukee’s starting point guard to kick off the season. You might have expected Dellavedova to have been brought in to back up Carter-Williams, but that’s obviously not the case anymore. Perhaps the Bucks have seen enough growth from Delly to trust him with the starting position, and did not feel the need to keep Carter-Williams around anymore.

Assuming they’d already made the decision to bench MCW, this trade is also a money move. Tony Snell made about a million dollars fewer than Carter-Williams did last year, which makes him a significantly cheaper backup point guard for the Bucks. It’s possible that John Hammond and co. are clearing some cash for another offseason move, or maybe they’re just trying to cut a little fat off of the team’s salaries. When it comes to stats per 36 minutes, MCW is better than Snell pretty much around the board, so this just might be a money move more than anything.

One positive takeaway from this trade is that the Bucks have bolstered their shooting beyond the arc, particularly off the bench. While Michael Carter-Williams is a lifetime 26% three-point shooter, Tony Snell shoots a far-better 35% from distance. Considering Carter-Williams’ more impressive statline from everywhere else on the court, the Bucks may have been looking for a little help from behind the arc.

As the season rapidly approaches, the Bucks are sure to be finalizing their starting lineup, and we now know for sure that Michael Carter-Williams will not be a part of it. Hopefully he finds success with the Bulls as his still-young NBA career continues to look for some footing. As for Tony Snell, the Bucks may be a great fit for him as he chips in off the bench where he can. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can do, and we only have to wait until October 26th to see him get some regular season minutes for Milwaukee.