Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Ersan Ilyasova’s future
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Ersan Ilyasova’s future – What to sell
Ilyasova played the second-fewest minutes per game of his career this season, coming in at just 15.7 minutes per game over 63 appearances. This was in part due to the midseason addition of veteran big man Marvin Williams, who predominantly took over backup power forward duties for the Bucks and turned Ersan into a spectator on the bench.
Ilyasova fell out of the rotation almost entirely because of his lacking presence on the defensive end, something that Williams provided much more substantially. Ersan had undoubtedly lost a step, looking like a liability most nights no matter who he was matched up against, and his late season shooting slump didn’t help matters. Williams gave the Bucks a more versatile fit on either end of the floor, eliminating the need for Ilyasova to see the floor for regular stretches.
This trend carried over into the playoffs as well. Over Milwaukee’s 10 postseason games, Ersan saw even less time, playing just a total of 23 minutes in three appearances. With Williams now retired, the Bucks will be in the market for another backup forward this offseason, but Ilyasova and his $7 million next season would be a tough sell.
Ersan Ilyasova is 33-years-old and his best days look to be behind him, as seen throughout this season.