The Milwaukee Bucks’ reported addition of Ersan Ilyasova addresses their shallow forward depth at the moment, but the impact the 10-year NBA veteran could have as a small ball center may define his second stint with the team.
Right as the clock was about to strike midnight on the east coast to open this year’s NBA free agency period, the Milwaukee Bucks stormed out of the gate to bring back a familiar face.
By reportedly agreeing to a three-year, $21 million deal with Ersan Ilyasova, the final year being non-guaranteed, the Bucks covered their bases by addressing their forward depth while they wait to see how the market continues to shrink for restricted free agent Jabari Parker.
Like with many previous free agents or trade targets they’ve added in recent years, the Bucks reportedly held an interest in the Turkish native after he was bought out by the Atlanta Hawks following this year’s trade deadline before he landed back with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Of course, Ilyasova also has ties to the organization by spending his first seven NBA seasons in Milwaukee after being taken with the 36th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft as well as playing with new head coach Mike Budenholzer during their time with the Hawks.
And as is the case with any and all Bucks personnel moves, especially ones made on the opening night of free agency, the debate swirling over the value of the deal will continue to rage on among Bucks fans, especially as more short-term contracts continue to be agreed upon throughout the league.
But what can’t be wholly disputed is the fit that Ilyasova projects to fill now that he’s slated to come back to Milwaukee.
The light has obviously been shined on Ilyasova bringing his tried and true stretch four skill-set back to a Bucks forward crop that is in need of raising its perimeter shooting proficiency and overall spacing capabilities.
However, we only need to look to his brief second stint with the 76ers last year to see the frontcourt versatility Ilyasova could end up fulfilling beyond the expectations that are being set for him in his second Bucks homecoming.
Upon landing in Philly last season, Ilyasova saw most of his playing time without one of the team’s franchise cornerstones in All-Star big man Joel Embiid.
In fact, 337 of Ilyasova’s 554 minutes with the Sixers in the second half of the season came without Embiid on the floor, in which the 76ers outscored opponents by 9.2 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com/stats.
With the bulk of Ilyasova’s minutes coming at the 5-spot, 76ers head coach Brett Brown laid out the blueprint for prioritizing maximum spacing lineups around the team’s young point forward, Ben Simmons.
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That bore out to great effect as in the 247 minutes that both Ilyasova and Simmons shared the court together during the regular season, the Sixers outscored opponents by 12.5 points per 100 possessions.
Considering the makeup of the Bucks’ roster and the similarities shared between Simmons and Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, there’s more than enough reason to believe that Milwaukee will be able to replicate this template over the span of Ilyasova’s reported deal.
Not only that, but with Coach Bud looking to overhaul and modernize the Bucks’ offense in a considerable way, the Bucks could repurpose many of the same principles the 76ers’ set once Ilyasova arrived for the likes of Antetokounmpo to become even more supercharged than he is at this stage.
With Ilyasova firmly in the back half of his career, it may be a role that’s best suited for where he is at this point as a player, especially as the below average mobility and athleticism he already possessed continues to diminish.
Since leaving Milwaukee, Ilyasova’s three-point efficiency and rebounding output has more or less stayed in line with what he’s posted throughout his career, though he is prone to consistency issues as all Bucks fans are acutely aware of.
Add in the fact that the Bucks are no closer to having a long-term solution at the center position on their roster, Ilyasova poses to be a viable stopgap solution in that regard as well, with the hope being that Thon Maker pans out to be a very useful role playing stretch-5.
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Despite what the Bucks may have in mind in reportedly adding Ilyasova, nothing is certain regarding their best laid plans coming to fruition once it’s time to get down to business. While all of that remains to be seen, it’ll be interesting to see how Ilyasova’s return to Milwaukee unfolds all the same.