The Milwaukee Bucks are bringing back Ersan Ilyasova. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Bucks have signed the veteran forward to a three-year deal worth $21 million.
Ersan Ilyasova has agreed to a 3 year, $21M deal with Milwaukee, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018
Ilyasova spent last season playing for the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers. He began the 2017-18 season with the Hawks, playing for 46 games before he was bought out. It did not take long for him to find a new home, as he signed shortly thereafter with the Sixers, with whom he reached the playoffs. It was also the first time in his NBA career that he made it to the postseason in back-to-back years.
Ilyasova spent the first seven years of his NBA career in Milwaukee. Over that stretch, he averaged 10.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while also shooting 37.0 percent from downtown.
A 6-10 forward with decent touch from deep, Ilyasova will look to provide the Bucks a big man who could stretch the floor and get buckets in an instant. The Bucks were among the poorest outside-shooting team last season, draining only 8.8 3-pointers per game – fourth fewest in the NBA.
Ilyasova is not going to steal the starting spots of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, but he could give quality minutes while any of those two stars take a breather on the bench.
The Bucks’ organization also conveyed their excitement over the return of Ilyasova to their fold with the following statement from the team’s website.
“Ersan is a high-character, veteran player who gives our team an additional shooter to help spread the court,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “He has a team-first mentality and brings toughness and energy to both ends of the floor. We are very excited to have him and his family back in Milwaukee.”
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