AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has acquired forward Ersan Ilyasova from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for forwards Caron Butler and Shawne Williams.
“Ersan Ilyasova is a player we have coveted since we got to Detroit,” said Stan Van Gundy, Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Detroit Pistons. “Not only is he a proficient three-point shooter that can stretch the floor, he is a high-energy, hard-playing guy who fits extremely well with how we want to play. We are excited about what he can add to our team.”
“We appreciate the contributions of Caron and Shawne. Caron, in particular, is difficult to say goodbye to. Not only did he play well for us, his leadership went above and beyond. I'm not sure I've ever seen a single player have a more a positive impact on a team than Caron did on ours. He is a special person and we will always respect and appreciate what he did here.”
A seven-year NBA veteran, Ilyasova has spent his entire career in Milwaukee where he’s averaged 10.7 points (45% FG, 37 3FG, 78% FT), 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 453 career games (257 starts). Last season, he averaged 11.5 points (47% FG, 39% 3FG, 65% FT), 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 58 games (36 starts). He’s averaged double-figure scoring in five of his seven NBA seasons including a career-best 13.2 points during the 2012-13 campaign. Ilyasova earned NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in March 2012 after averaging 25.0 points (64% FG, 67% 3FG) and 10.8 rebounds in four games.
A 6-10, 235-pound native of Turkey, Ilyasova was the 36th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and played two years in Spain after his NBA rookie year in 2006-07. He also played two years in the Turkish professional league before coming to the NBA and played for the Turkish national team at the junior and senior levels.
Butler, a native of Racine, WI, averaged 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 78 games (21 starts) last season. The 13-year NBA veteran, who signed with the Pistons on July 15, 2014 as a free agent, has career averages of 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 864 career games with Miami, L.A. Lakers, Washington, Dallas, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City and Detroit.
Williams was claimed by the Pistons off waivers on February 24, 2015. He averaged 2.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 8.6 minutes in 19 games with Detroit. Williams has played in 314 games with Indiana, Dallas, New York, New Jersey, L.A. Lakers, Miami and Detroit.