It's a safe bet Michael Carter-Williams will be playing with an extra chip on his shoulder Wednesday.
Not only is the point guard set to make his Milwaukee Bucks debut, he'll be facing his former team less than a week after the Philadelphia 76ers shipped him off as part of a blockbuster three-team deal.
Carter-Williams was blindsided by the move, figuring he was a safe bet to remain a key figure in the organization's rebuild.
"I thought I was a cornerstone for that team," Carter-Williams said, according to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. "Me, Nerlens (Noel) and Joel (Embiid).
"It was really us three that were the core group," he said. "We were told we were going to be here for a pretty long time."
That ultimately didn't prove to be the case. Carter-Williams was dealt a season after capturing Rookie of the Year honors, when he averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 70 games. He cited those numbers in addition to the assurances he got from the organization as reasons to believe he would have a long future with the 76ers.
Carter-Williams, who has struggled immensely with his shot over his brief NBA career, thinks he would still be a member of the team if 76ers head coach Brett Brown had been calling the shots.
"I understand that things change and plans change," he said. "I guess (general manager) Sam (Hinkie) and the rest of those guys thought moving me was the best move."
Philadelphia, which sports the second-worst record in the NBA at 12-44, moved Carter-Williams and athletic wing K.J. McDaniels – in separate trades – for picks in an effort to once again take its chances in the draft.
Despite Carter-Williams seemingly feeling betrayed by the 76ers – who selected him with the No. 11 pick in the 2013 draft – moving on from him, he's joined a good situation. The Bucks, a lock for the playoffs, have enjoyed an incredible turnaround from a season ago, sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference with a chance to climb further.
Carter-Williams will return to the court after missing six consecutive games with a toe sprain.
