Let's take a look at how the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers did in their three-way trade Thursday. Here's a breakdown of the deal:
Bucks get: Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee.
Suns get: Brandon Knight, Kendall Marshall
76ers get: The Lakers' top-five protected pick.
Milwaukee Bucks: B-plus
While trading Knight is a shocker to many Bucks fans, the move is defensible even in a vacuum. When you look at the actual deal in terms of the assets the Bucks got in return, it was a nice bit of dealing. There might be a short-term hit, but they are better positioned in the big picture.
The story of this trade began back in October, when Milwaukee failed to reach an agreement with Knight on a rookie extension. Knight was a well-liked player both in the organization and in the locker room, and might have been the hardest worker of all the Bucks. This season, Knight developed into a borderline All-Star. He was leading the Bucks with 17.8 points and 5.4 assists per game and ranked 27th in the league with 6.4 WARP at the All-Star break. He has become one of the most dangerous shooters in the league, a direct byproduct of his habit of shooting after practice until they turn out the lights.