If any chance remained that Greg Monroe would still be a Detroit Piston come next season, that scenario looks to be completely out the door now. 

The Pistons swung a deal on Thursday to acquire Ersan Ilyasova from Milwaukee, a 6-foot-9 forward with the ability to step outside and knock down the three.  The Pistons gave up what more or less amounts to pure salary, sending Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to the Bucks (both players will likely be waived). 

Ilyasova is an interesting player in terms of the unique skill set he brings to the power forward position.  He is a 37% career shooter from long range and is very accurate from the free throw line as well (78%), a trait that almost seemed to be against the rules for Pistons’ big men in the latter Joe Dumars years.

While Ilyasova will never be confused with a rugged hulk like Ben Wallace, he’s not entirely opposed to mixing it up on the glass, either.  His best rebounding season came in 2011-12 when he hauled in close to nine boards a game.

The key for Ilyasova, 28, will be to remain healthy for a full campaign, something he’s struggled to do throughout his seven years in the NBA.  Only once in the last five seasons has he appeared in more than 60 games.

The lanky Turk is still owed a fair amount of money, about $16 million over the next two years, but with the league’s salary cap set to increase, it’s a fair price for a guy that could very well be announced in the starting lineup on opening night. 

The Pistons have been one of the league’s worst shooting teams for a number of years now.  This move by Stan Van Gundy immediately addresses that weakness, and perhaps most importantly, greatly softens the blow that will come with Moose Monroe’s imminent departure in the next few weeks.

Van Gundy was given very little to work with when he took the team over from the previous regime.  He’s done a nice job of acquiring talent on the cheap, building up a little depth, and transforming the club into one that must be feared from three point land on a nightly basis.

Ersan Ilyasova won’t make the All-Star team next year.  And this trade will make minimal waves across the hoops landscape.

But it’s an important deal, and one that makes the Pistons a better and more balanced team today than they were yesterday.

On this franchise’s measured, deliberate climb back to NBA respectability, that’s about all you can ask for.