Milwaukee Bucks: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Bringing back Ersan Ilyasova

Ersan Ilyasova does not seem like the sort of player a team would rush to sign at the stroke of midnight on July 1. He is not a hyper athlete, or a tantalizing young prospect. He has bounced around the league as a journeyman, sometimes starting, sometimes coming off the bench. ‘

Across the board, NBA media ripped the Bucks for committing multiple years to the forward.

Ilyasova is a player who has a specific role in the NBA where he can thrive. Deploy him in such a role, and he is worth $7 million per season and then some. Ask too much of him — to play at small forward, or initiate offense, or play 35 minutes a night — and he falls short.

The Philadelphia 76ers found the sweet spot with Ilyasova down the stretch of last season, using him as a backup power forward and occasional center. Create a shot for him and he will knock it down with consistency. Defensively he will not clean up other’s mistakes, but defend on the perimeter and he can hold up inside, including drawing charges.

Coming into the season, the Bucks look to have that right kind of role for Ilyasova as the backup to Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 4. Milwaukee has struggled in recent years to find a stretch-big option, with Mirza Teletovic struggling with health issues and Thon Maker not yet turning potential into reality. Now it has the quintessential stretch-4 in Ilyasova.

Barring major frontcourt injuries, the Bucks can use Ilyasova in the right ways, and they expect him to thrive. He returns not just to Mike Budenholzer — he played with him in Atlanta the past two seasons — but the Bucks, where he began his career and played seven total seasons.

Were there better options available with the money they spent on Ilyasova? Perhaps, but he fits what they needed and that matters too.

Grade: C+