Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Eric Bledsoe among point guards of last decade
By Ben Sewell
5. Michael Carter-Williams
Statistics – 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists
Seasons in Milwaukee – 2015-2016
How he was acquired – Via trade, 2015
One can clearly see the direction Milwaukee was taking when they pushed the go button on the Michael Carter-Williams for Brandon Knight trade back in 2015. Knight was a fringe All-Star player in that season but was heading toward restricted free agency that summer. The Bucks were hesitant at the idea of locking themselves into Knight for the next half decade and decided to flip him for the reigning Rookie of the Year, Carter-Williams.
The only reason in hindsight that this trade was not a complete disaster is the calamitous tenure Knight has experienced while being a member of the Phoenix Suns. As far as Milwaukee is concerned, after starting the season with a record of 31-23, they went on to a 11-18 record following the trade and scraped into the playoffs where they were soundly beaten 4-2 by the Bulls in the first round.
Carter-Williams just never quite recovered from that and as a result, was often ridiculed by Bucks’ fans. Carter-Williams statistics during his time in Milwaukee are not terrible and in isolation, could be considered quite a success. But his style of play just did not suit the Bucks as he shot less than 23 percent from deep and recorded close to three turnovers a night.
The trade was a failure for so many reasons and Carter-Williams was promptly traded in the summer of 2016.