Michael Carter-Williams

Michael Carter-Williams's Biography

Michael Carter-Williams, born October 10, 1991, is a former professional basketball player from the United States who was drafted 11th overall in the 2013 NBA draft’s first round by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Syracuse Orange basketball team was his college team. After being named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2014, he went on to play for a range of teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic.

Carter-Williams’ early basketball career began at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School in Hamilton, Massachusetts, where he attended as a freshman. At 5’9″ and averaging 20 points per game, he led his team and the conference in scoring, securing a league championship.

In 2008, Carter-Williams transferred to St. Andrew’s boarding school in Barrington, Rhode Island, where he lived in a dormitory during his final three high school years. As a starter during these years, he averaged 25.4 points per game, reaching 23.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game during his senior year.

After his sophomore year, he committed to attend Syracuse where he played on their basketball team. Despite getting scholarship offers from well-known colleges like Virginia, Notre Dame, Clemson, Florida State, Providence, and Virginia Tech, he made the decision to stay with Syracuse.

In his freshman season at Syracuse in 2011-2012, his performance remained muted as he played behind higher-ranking players such as Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, and Dion Waiters. This resulted in uneven court time for Carter-Williams, with some games seeing him not playing at all, while in others he was allowed sporadic minutes. However, he worked diligently on his game during the 2012 offseason, which paid off with his emergence as a breakout star for Syracuse and one of the nation’s best point guards, during the 2012-2013 season.

His 24-point career-high score in a game on March 28, 2013, helped Syracuse pass the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers 61–50 in the NCAA’s East Region semi-finals. Carter-Williams closed out his sophomore season at Syracuse with an average of 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. Consequently, he was granted Associated Press honorable mention All-American honors, as well as second-team All-Big East honors. On April 10, 2013, Carter-Williams opted for the NBA draft, forgoing his remaining two years of college eligibility.

Carter-Williams was selected 11th overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. His debut game against the Miami Heat saw him record 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds, and 9 steals, setting a record for the most steals by a rookie on debut. His performance earned him the title of Player of the Week, the first rookie to achieve this since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992.

In 2014, his rookie season ended with averages of 16.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and 6.3 apg. This placed him in the ranks of only three players, including Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, in NBA history to average 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a rookie season. On May 5, 2014, he was named the 2014 NBA Rookie of the Year.

In 2015, Carter-Williams was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-way trade involving the Phoenix Suns. In 2016, Carter-Williams was traded to the Chicago Bulls in return for Tony Snell. Injuries often slowed him down, including a bone bruise on his knee and a left wrist sprain.

On July 7, 2017, Carter-Williams joined the Charlotte Hornets. However, a posterior labral tear in his left shoulder cut his season short. He then signed with the Houston Rockets in 2018, traded to the Chicago Bulls in 2019, and immediately waived.

On March 15, 2019, he signed a 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic, continuing to showcase his formidable basketball skills. He re-signed with the Magic for the 2019-2020 season, and again in 2020 for a 2-year, $6.6 million contract.

In August 2021, he underwent surgery on his left ankle and thus was out for the beginning of the 2021-22 season. In February 2022, Carter-Williams was waived by the Magic without appearing in a game for that season. Yet, in a testament to his undeniable skills and resilience, he once more re-signed with the Magic on February 26, 2023.