Bucks clear salary cap space trading Tony Snell, pick to Pistons for Jon Leuer

The Milwaukee Bucks made a trade on Wednesday night to gain some salary cap space entering free agency.

The Bucks traded Tony Snell and the No. 30 overall pick in Thursday’s draft to the Detroit Pistons for Jon Leuer, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move is all about the money for Milwaukee.

Snell is making nearly $11.4 million next season, while Leuer is making $9.5 million. Not only does the trade present a savings of nearly $2 million, but the Bucks save an additional $2 million or so due to the cap hold for the No. 30 pick, freeing up a total of around $4 million.

Leuer’s deal expires after the season while Snell has a $12.1 player option for 2020-2021, so the Pistons are effectively paying that money to gain the first-round pick and some wing help in the form of Snell, as Zach Lowe pointed out.

The Bucks were ranked fifth in the league with a $131 million payroll last season and had $87 million in commitments for next season, according to Hoops Hype. A number of their key players from last season’s team that produced the best regular season record in the league are set to become free agents, such as Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic and Brook Lopez. They are said to be negotiating a big deal to try and bring back Middleton. They won’t be able to bring back everyone, but this additional space will help their efforts to re-sign players or bring in another free agent or two to replace them.

Watch: Tony Snell puts Bojan Bogdanovic on skates

Tony Snell did not treat Bojan Bogdanovic kindly on Thursday night.

During the fourth quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 117-98 win over the Indiana Pacers, Snell put the moves on Bogdanovic and sent him to the floor with a great fake.

Can I have this dance?!? #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Tk7943ASz7

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 8, 2019

How could he do him like that!

Snell had a strong game off the bench, scoring 9 points in 19 minutes. His Bucks continue to roll and now are 49-16 — the best record in the league.

Bucks SG Tony Snell not happy teammates are always on their phones in locker room

Tony Snell is apparently a millennial in name only.

In an interview with Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that was published Friday, the Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard lamented about how his teammates are always on their phones when they are in the locker room.

“I go into the locker room and everybody’s got their head down on their phone the whole time,” Snell said. “I’m the only one who’s got my head up.

“It’s the saddest thing ever,” he added. “Technology is the worst. Everybody walks like this [Snell staggers with his head down], not even paying attention. It’s the worst thing ever.”

Of course, that is likely the case not just in Milwaukee but in plenty of other locker rooms and public spaces in our technology/social media-based society as well. But for the 26-year-old Snell, who is averaging 8.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game this season, it probably won’t come as much solace. On the bright side, at least the Bucks don’t have this player in their locker room.

Report: Bulls trade for Michael Carter-Williams expected to be finalized Monday

Michael Carter-Williams’ move across the Central Division is nearly complete.

Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN first reported on Saturday that the Chicago Bulls were deep in talks to acquire Carter-Williams from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Tony Snell. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune added on Sunday that the deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized on Monday once the league office has been called and physicals have been completed.

Snell-for-Carter-Williams agreed to in principle. Snell told of trade. Teams just need call w/ league office on MON, physicals to complete.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 16, 2016

Carter-Williams, the former Rookie of the Year, averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for the Bucks in 2015-16. But he was relegated to the second unit early in the year and suffered a torn labrum in his left hip in March that put him out for the remainder of the season.

A 25.5 percent shooter from deep in his three-year NBA career, Carter-Williams will only make Chicago’s massive floor-spacing problem even worse. But as a lengthy athlete who can get into the lane with ease, especially for the price of a guy like Snell, who had found himself completely marginalized in head coach Fred Hoiberg’s rotation, Carter-Williams should still make for a decent first guard off the bench for the Bulls this coming season.

Otto Porter hilariously loses Tony Snell on defense (Video)

Otto Porter hit the snooze button while playing defense on Tony Snell at the end of the Wizards-Bulls game Tuesday and completely embarrassed himself in the process.

Porter was assigned to Snell but was also on alert in case he needed to play help defense against Aaron Brooks. Porter tried to keep one eye on Brooks and one eye on Snell, but Snell caught him in the middle of a look at Brooks and zoomed around to the other wing.

By the time Porter noticed that he’d lost Snell, the Bulls guard had a wide open look at a 3-pointer that he clanked off the iron. The Wizards were down 95-92 at that point and still had a shot at winning. Unfortunately for them, a foul put Pau Gasol on the line, and he made two free throws to give Chicago a 97-92 win.

Video via The Cauldron

Joakim Noah angry at Tony Snell over chest bump snub (Video)

All Joakim Noah wanted was a little chest bump from his teammate after scoring a big bucket in the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bulls’ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. All he got was a lame response.

Noah went up for the chest bump as he was heading off the court following a layup in the final minute, and rookie Tony Snell gave him nothing in return. Noah was clearly ticked off, because he shot the rookie a couple of nasty “SMH” glances.

Come on, Snell. You don’t want to ruin Noah’s flow when he’s feeling it.

And now here’s one from LBS. This song goes out to Snell from Joakim:

Video via Beyond the Buzzer