The Milwaukee Bucks are rumored to be shopping Michael Carter-Williams to Los Angeles Lakers sixth man Lou Williams, as the Bucks are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Bucks have yet to show their winning form from last year as they sit 13th in the East with a 7-12 record.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders noted that the Bucks' summer acquisitions of Greg Monroe and Greivis Vasquez have yet to produce positive outputs for the team defensively and offensively, and this could be because of Carter-Williams not fitting well with the team's new additions.
In a Real GM forum thread, a fan explored what could be the value of MCW if the Bucks intend to trade him before the deadline. One interesting scenario is a swap for Lakers' sixth man Lou Williams.
MCW is only averaging 9.6 points this season, while playing most of the minutes at the point guard position. He has racked up an average of 4.9 assists, but his struggles from the outside is making it hard for Monroe to effectively maneuver his back-to-the-basket moves.
On the other hand, Williams, despite not being a better passer, is considered an outside threat and could space the floor more for the Bucks.
However, Williams is shooting a career-low 35.2 percent from the field, including 26.2 from downtown, but Jason Kidd could use his veteran presence for the Bucks' youngsters.
MCW would give the Lakers another young guard who can be part of the franchise's rebuilding plans, along with Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell, and Julius Randle.
The downside of MCW heading to Los Angeles is the logjam at the guard position. But with small-ball lineups effectively taking over the league, Carter-Williams can still be of use for the struggling Lakers.
A swap for MCW and Williams would be impossible, so the Bucks and the Lakers may need to add more pieces to make the trade work if it materializes.
The Lakers are heading into full-tanking mode, so they would probably take whatever the Bucks give as long as it involves an expiring contract.
But for Milwaukee, they cannot afford to wait until their players click together, considering how the Eastern Conference has become surprisingly tougher.
While the Bucks are not looking aggressively for trades, it is only a matter of time before they decide to make a deal that would put them into the playoff picture again.