Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Ersan Ilyasova’s future

Ersan Ilyasova’s contract situation for next season will be intriguing to monitor as the Milwaukee Bucks prepare for a busy free agency.

It seems that no matter how many times the Milwaukee Bucks and Ersan Ilyasova go their separate ways, they always end up back together at some point.

Currently on his third stint with Milwaukee since being drafted by the team in 2005, Ilyasova’s future with the franchise is in question once again. The $7 million salary for the final year of Ilyasova’s three-year, $21 million contract is completely non-guaranteed for the 2020-21 season, and Milwaukee holds the final decision in bringing the franchise favorite back for another season or letting him go.

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Ilyasova’s numbers did not exactly jump off the page this season as he averaged  6.6 points on .466/.365/.828 shooting splits while hauling in 4.8 rebounds and providing 0.8 assists per game as he played the second-fewest amount of minutes of his 12-year NBA career.

While Ilyasova served as a feasible role player in Mike Budenholzer’s rotation, that $7 million for next season is a hefty paycheck to dish out to the 33-year-old who saw his role diminish as this season went on.

Whatever the case might be, the ball is in Milwaukee’s court when it comes to Ersan’s future. The Turkish forward could have very well played his last game in a Bucks uniform, or perhaps the team values him enough to bring him back for another season to keep their frontcourt depth intact.

While there is no clear cut answer just yet, here is what the Milwaukee Bucks should buy and what they should sell on Ersan Ilyasova’s future with the franchise.