Milwaukee Bucks: Grading The Offseason

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Mar 18, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) reacts after getting called for a foul in the third quarter during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Spurs beat the Bucks 114-103. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

Trading Ersan Ilyasova

About two weeks before the draft, the Bucks shipped away stretch-4 Ersan Ilyasova to the Detroit Pistons for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. Milwaukee reportedly waived both players, which gave the Bucks just under $22 million in cap space after Jared Dudley exercised his player option.

That kind of cap room in a salary dump move that relieved Ilyasova’s $7.9 million from the books is what helped the Bucks get their biggest signing of the summer done. Although the NBA’s James Franco look-alike averaged 11.5 points per game last season and shot an efficient 47.2 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range, the return of Jabari Parker made him expendable.

The Pistons got a useful stretch-4 in the process and the Bucks essentially got nothing after waiving the two players acquired in the deal. But before anyone even knew it, this deal not only gave Detroit some sort of compensation for the imminent loss of Greg Monroe, but it also freed up the space necessary for Milwaukee to eventually welcome him into the fold.

Grade: B-

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