Pistons Trade For Ersan Ilyasova
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - The Turkish Thunder is coming to Detroit.
The Pistons have traded forwards Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks for forward Ersan Ilyasova, the team announced in a press release Thursday afternoon.
"Ersan Ilyasova is a player we have coveted since we got to Detroit," Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy, who is also the team's president of basketball operations, stated in the release.
"Not only is he a proficient three-point shooter that can stretch the floor," Van Gundy continued, "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."
The 28-year-old Ilyasova, who is from Turkey, averaged 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Bucks last year. He made 38.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Originally a second-round draft pick in 2005, Ilyasova has played in seven NBA seasons. He averaged 22.7 minutes per game for the Bucks last year.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports first reported the trade and suggested it benefited both teams.
Butler averaged 5.9 points and 2.5 rebounds for the Pistons last season, while Williams contributed 2.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 19 games for Detroit last year.
"We appreciate the contributions of Caron and Shawne," Van Gundy stated in the release. "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."
