The Bucks traded Michael Carter-Williams to the Bulls for Tony Snell, swapping a 2013 Draft disappointment who was a poor fit in Milwaukee for a 2013 Draft disappointment who was a forgotten man in Chicago. It’s a cross-your-fingers type of deal, with both teams hoping a change of scenery, different roster makeup and new role gets the yet-unseen best from each former first-round pick.

Initially reported by ESPN on Sunday, the Bucks announced the trade Monday morning after the league office opened and it was officially completed. On its face, it’s a low-stakes deal, a spare-parts swap of fourth-year players – one a backup point guard who couldn’t shoot, the other a reserve wing who couldn’t get on the floor – that had become personae non gratae in their previous homes.

But it very well could turn out to be a win-win exchange, and especially fruitful for the Bucks, who add depth at a desperately needy position and, with confidence-instilling consistent playing time, could coax out whatever potential exists in the coy and enigmatic Snell.

So who is Tony Snell and why did the Bucks acquire him? The short answer is because of Khris Middleton’s torn hamstring, an injury that will keep Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard and last year’s leading scorer out until at least February. The mid-length answer is the Bucks had been trying for months to trade Carter-Williams, and Snell’s flashes of three-point shooting and defensive abilities were intriguing enough to take a chance on. The long answer is below. 

A shooting guard-slash-small forward who is 24 years old and stands 6-foot-7, Snell is one month younger and one inch taller than Carter-Williams, the Rookie of the Year in a bad 2013 draft class who hasn't lived up to the accolade’s expectations. Both players are due to hit restricted free agency after their rookie contracts expire at the end of the season – it’s unlikely either is signed to an extension prior to the Oct. 31 deadline, though the Bucks could possibly offer one as a buy-low bargain – and while Carter-Williams’ warts are well-established through his 6,212 minutes over 190 games, Snell is more unknown, having played nearly 2,300 fewer minutes in 23 more career games.

Thank You @MCW1 for all of your contributions to Milwaukee and the Bucks both on and off the court!! pic.twitter.com/LR1MyTAwWN — Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 17, 2016

After a somewhat promising second season in 2014-15, during which he shot 37.1 percent on three-pointers and averaged 11.1 points per 36 minutes, Snell was buried on the Bulls’ depth chart last year and appeared in only 64 games. Down the stretch, he was banished to the end of the bench, earning a Did Not Play (DNP) designation in 16 of the last 22 games. In the season’s final three months, he scored just 107 points.

To synthesize the sentiments of many Bulls fans and media, Snell seemed to lose confidence last season, appearing tentative on offense – and particularly with the ball. It was an on-court tepidness that matched his soft-spoken personality. Receiving unpredictable playing time, he looked unsure of his outside shot and intimidated inside, when blocked shots and charging fouls were all too often the consequence of uncontrolled drives to the basket.

His player efficiency rating (PER) fell from 10.19 in 2014-15 to 6.47, which was the sixth-worst mark in the NBA last year, and his court awareness just seemed to be poor. As his performance declined during a difficult season for Chicago, Snell’s quietness was often misinterpreted by fans as impassiveness and he became a target for criticism. 

A California high school teammate of Kawhi Leonard, Snell was drafted 20th overall out of New Mexico and many people in Chicago hoped he’d eventually develop like Leonard, another late-blooming 6-7 introvert with braids. Those comparisons have evaporated, though, and Snell arguably has regressed.

Going into this season, he would have been the Bulls’ No. 4 or 5 swingman, a borderline rotation player unlikely to get the minutes needed to build confidence and improve his game. Nevertheless, he was still considered a great teammate, quick off the bench to cheer for his guys, even if it sometimes resulted in this.

In Milwaukee, however, Snell will have a chance to crack not only the rotation, but perhaps even the lineup. Indeed, when he returns from the sprained ankle he suffered last week, Snell will probably be competing for a starting guard spot. The Bucks, who plan to use Giannis Antetokounmpo as a playmaking point-forward on offense, figure to start defensive-minded Matthew Dellavedova at the one and Jabari Parker and Miles Plumlee in the frontcourt. With Middleton out, the other backcourt job is up for grabs between Snell, Rashad Vaughn and Malcolm Brogdon.

With regular playing time and an increased role – for better or worse for the Bucks – Snell could potentially resemble his NBA ideal, as a 3-and-D wing whose accurate outside shooting and disruptive defensive length make him a useful two-way player in a league that values that more than ever. Snell’s defensive game has been lauded by Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg and even his non-effusive predecessor, Tom Thibodeau, because he’s active and plays the passing lanes well.

On the most basic level, Milwaukee – even despite signing Dellavedova, Mirza Teletovic, Jason Terry and Steve Novak – still needs as much long-range shooting as it can get, after ranking last in three-pointers attempted in 2015-16. Even though he struggled last year, Snell’s 36.1 three-point percentage would have been third-highest on the Bucks.

Strangely, he shot a putrid 38 percent on two-pointers, and was under 50 percent on attempts within two feet of the basket, signifying his lack of forcefulness inside. But the Bucks hope his presence on the floor with Antetokounmpo and Parker will have a mutually beneficial effect: he’ll space the floor and free up lanes for them, and they’ll attack the paint and create open shots for him.

At times during his career, Snell's displayed glimpses of his upside. A 20-point game against Denver in his rookie year, when he hit 7 of 14 shots, including 3 of 4 three-pointers; a 15-game stretch in 2014-15 when he averaged 12 points a game, including four 20-plus point nights; a 22-point performance last season (including 4 of 5 on threes) against Toronto, and a 17-point night at Milwaukee on Jan. 12, when he made 7 of 11 shots. Take a look at his highlights from that Raptors game.

He’s no replacement for Middleton, but that was never part of the calculus of the trade; the Bucks were actively shopping Carter-Williams and weren’t going to get more than 75 cents on the dollar. But Snell is a better fit in Milwaukee and he can replicate some of what the versatile and underratedly valuable Middleton did, shooting threes and playing good defense.

Middleton was one of the only Bucks who could reliably score in a variety of ways – creating his own shot, hitting an open three-pointer, getting to the basket; Snell doesn’t have his handle, finishing or passing ability. He averaged just 1.7 assists per 36 minutes, which would have been worse than all but three Milwaukee players last year (Middleton was at 4.2). But grabbing 5.5 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, Snell is productive on the boards for a guard (Middleton averaged 3.8 last year).

Not as physically strong as many players his size (217 pounds), Snell is a wispy athlete. When he’s going good, that lightness looks smooth, from gliding dunks to his feathery release beyond the arc. It’s reasonable to think Snell can at least be a complementary piece on a young team that will struggle to make the playoffs this year. But can Jason Kidd get even more out of him?

Snell is schedule to make $2,368,327 this season in the last year of his rookie deal. Given the roster fit and opportunity in Milwaukee, and assuming the Bucks don’t sign him to an extension in the next couple weeks, Snell will be embarking on his last, best campaign to prove he deserves a second NBA contract and is a viable player in the league.  

Though Carter-Williams was one of Antetokounmpo’s closest friends (and an excellent community figure for the franchise), he didn’t suit the squad on the floor and the Bucks didn’t need him. In Snell, Milwaukee fills a major hole with a player that has NBA experience and can shoot a bit, and, conceivably – with patient coaching, consistent minutes and the actual realization of an apparent on-paper match – could unearth his talent and stumble upon a true asset.