Several NBA teams will be looking for help at the point guard position either at the mid-season trade deadline or in free agency next offseason. Kyle Lowry went off the market this past summer. Eric Bledsoe signed a long-term deal. Ricky Rubio inked an extension just before the deadline. That leaves Rajon Rondo as the biggest name available and only one team can sign him. In search of draft picks, the Philadelphia 76ers are offering up Michael Carter-Williams in hopes of capitalizing on the demand.
According to John Zitzler of Basketball Insiders, the 76ers are considering shopping Carter-Williams at the deadline despite having picked up his 2015-16 option. The point guard is coming off a season where he was named Rookie of the Year and Philadelphia is aiming to collect more draft picks for the upcoming year so he is their best asset to move. Philadelphia does not believe Carter-Williams is a bad player per say, but they are at a rebuilding point where draft picks are necessary. Moving Carter-Williams could help them in long-term success.
So who targets a deal for the point guard? Any team that misses out on Rondo will look his direction considering the amount of talent already taken off the court. The Los Angeles Lakers are the first team to come to mind simply because they lost Steve Nash and have Jeremy Lin on an expiring deal. Lin's play this season will determine his future with the franchise. If he struggles in the starting role, the Lakers will look to make a move.
The Houston Rockets are also planning on grabbing a point guard. The team is interested in Rondo like everyone else, but might miss out on the race. The Rockets are working with Patrick Beverley at the position after trading away Lin. He is handling the starting job well, but Houston wants someone more elite. That may or may not be Carter-Williams.
The Indiana Pacers have expressed interest in a point guard. There were reports that they were willing to ship Roy Hibbert out in order to get Rondo, a deal that of course went nowhere. They will not do the same for Carter-Williams, but they could be interested. The last team could be the New York Knicks. Right now, Jose Calderon is sitting out injured and the New York Post speculated that he is merely trade bait and could be gone mid-season.
Most of the interest in Carter-Williams will be determined by the way he returns from a shoulder injury. The point guard is preparing to make his return by the end of November, just getting back onto the practice court this week. If he looks good, the 76ers will not struggle to make a deal.