The Detroit Pistons announced on Thursday that they have acquired forward Ersan Ilyasova from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forwards Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. Ilyasova made his Milwaukee debut in 2006 and has spent his entire career there, aside from a two-year sojourn in Barcelona.
Let's grade the trade.
Pistons acquire Ersan Ilyasova
The 28-year-old stretch forward is a natural fit in president and head coach Stan Van Gundy's system. He's been inconsistent and injury-prone for the Bucks over the last couple of years, but he shot 39 percent from deep last season in an offense that wasn't nearly as suitable as Detroit's will be. The Pistons used Williams and Anthony Tolliver as floor spacers at his position last year, but Ilyasova is bigger and can do more with the ball in his hands.
Ilyasova is also an insurance policy. Big man Greg Monroe is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and while Van Gundy has said he'd like to retain him, there's no guarantee that will happen. It's also questionable whether Monroe makes for a good long-term fit next to Andre Drummond.
For Ilyasova, this is a great situation. After Detroit waived Josh Smith last season, it started to play like Van Gundy's old Orlando Magic teams. Now Ilyasova will get the chance to be the Ryan Anderson to Drummond's Dwight Howard. It's worth noting that Van Gundy said in a press release that he's coveted him since taking this job.
The Pistons are taking on salary here, as they could have simply waived Butler and Williams, who have non-guaranteed contracts for next season. With the rising salary cap, though, Ilyasova's $7.9 million salary next year and $8.4 million team option the year after do not represent a big problem.
Grade: A-
Bucks acquire Caron Butler, Shawne Williams
This is about cap relief. Milwaukee could decide to keep these guys around -- Butler is from Racine, WI., and played for his hometown Bucks in 2013-2014 before being bought out -- but the main thing here is getting Ilyasova's salary off the books. Milwaukee wants to re-sign Khris Middleton this summer, and the team has a glut of forwards, including 20-year-olds Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks could have as much as $22 million in cap space this offseason, assuming they waive Butler and Williams. This would give them the flexibility to both retain Middleton and keep adding pieces to a young, improving roster. While Ilyasova could have contributed, he was clearly not a part of the team's young core. If Milwaukee general manager John Hammond does something big with that flexibility, this could be an A+ move. For now …
Grade: B+
