Michael Carter-Williams of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after a basket in the second overtime of their 117-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo : Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox)
The Milwaukee Bucks will be heading into the new season without Khris Middleton, who is out due to a torn left hamstring. The latest rumors suggest that the Bucks front office still wants to add a shooting guard and it could be Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings with Michael Carter-Williams as possible trade bait.
Middleton was arguably one of the best players for Milwaukee last season and it is a big loss for a team that is looking to make the playoffs. He averaged a career-high 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game last season.
The Bucks have already acquired Michael Beasley from the Houston Rockets in exchange for point guard Tyler Ennis. However, the front office is still looking to add more depth at shooting guard and they will likely make a trade before the start of the season.
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, Bucks general manager John Hammond said that acquiring a shooting guard is really possible. It is also noted that players such as Carter-Williams, Greg Monroe and John Henson will be used as trade bait.
No possible deals were mentioned but Milwaukee has been looking to trade Monroe and Carter-Williams this offseason. Monroe was signed to a big deal last season but he was not a natural fit for the team.
On the other hand, Carter-Williams has failed to stay healthy and he still has not improved his shooting. The emergence of Giannis Antetokounmpo as a point forward will surely affect the role of the former Rookie of the Year.
One of the possible deals the Bucks can make is to acquire McLemore from the Kings in exchange for Carter-Williams. The trade works on the ESPN Trade Machine while also making sense for both teams.
The Kings will get a point guard that is young compared to Ty Lawson, who is coming off a really bad season, and Darren Collison, who is facing suspension after pleading guilty to domestic violence. Carter-Williams still needs to improve his shooting but he also gets a fresh start.
As for the Bucks, they get a shooting guard with a good potential to become a great knock down shooter. McLemore's career has not panned out the way analysts predicted but he will also get a fresh start in Milwaukee.
Nevertheless, these are just pure speculations at the moment and should be taken with a grain of salt. Check out the video below for the Top 10 Plays from the Bucks last season.
