When the Bulls traded Tony Snell for Michael Carter-Williams in October, the transaction looked to be one of those fresh starts for two players who had fallen out of favor in their current situation.

And indeed, Tony Snell is keeping the Bucks' shooting guard slot warm until Khris Middleton returns from injury. Meanwhile, Carter-Williams has surprisingly supplanted Rajon Rondo as the Bulls' starting point guard.

"Obviously, Rondo being the player that he is, it is a little bit shocking to me. But things happen," Carter-Williams said. "I support him to the fullest. He supports me. Sometimes coaches make changes. At the end of the day, we just want to win. We're both going to play.

"I think defensively, I can try to slow down the point guard on the floor. I can get in the lane, rebound. I think I complement D-Wade and Jimmy pretty well."

Those would be Wade and Butler, and it's fair to wonder if the Bulls would've even signed Rondo had they known they were going to land Wade and, eventually, Carter-Williams. While Carter-Williams is even more 3-point challenged than Rondo, his positional size at 6-foot-6 and fullcourt defensive presence has been a fit.

"He's just playing hard," Jimmy Butler said. "He's changing the game at the defensive end, taking all the right shots. He gets the ball to people in scoring areas. He sneaks in there and gets a lot of offensive rebounds and putbacks. We need him to stay aggressive."

Carter-Williams, who is averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in nine games as a starter, has scored in double figures in four of his last five games. That includes a 14-point effort against the Grizzlies in what coach Fred Hoiberg termed Carter-Williams' best game as a Bull. He added seven rebounds and three assists.

Kamil Krzaczynski / AP Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams, right, is defended by Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker, left, during the second half Monday, Jan. 2, 2017, at the United Center. Bulls guard Michael Carter-Williams, right, is defended by Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker, left, during the second half Monday, Jan. 2, 2017, at the United Center. (Kamil Krzaczynski / AP) (Kamil Krzaczynski / AP)

"He did a little bit of everything," Hoiberg said. "He made a couple big plays in the fourth quarter when they trapped Jimmy. He dumped it off to Taj (Gibson) for a dunk."

Carter-Williams goes out of his way to praise Rondo for aiding his transition to a new team and new system.

"Rondo has done an unbelievable job helping me, staying positive to help me get through the tough times," Carter-Williams said. "I've been trying to get as much work, whether it's film or getting up extra shots or working on my footwork with Jimmy. My coaches and teammates have helped me out."

And while the occasional whack still makes the left wrist that sidelined him for 27 games ache, Carter-Williams said he feels good overall. He still wears a brace for protection and said he may all season.

At this point, it looks like he'll do so as the starting point guard.

"I'm not the type of person who looks back on things," Carter-Williams said. "The trade happened and I'm just trying to make the most of it. I try to stay in the present, build and get better each day."

kcjohnson@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kcjhoop