The Detroit Pistons traded veterans Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Turkish sharp-shooter Ersan Ilyasova, as reported by the league's official website.

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The transaction, which was announced on Thursday, represents the start of the wheeling and dealing in what promises to be a highly interesting offseason for the world's premier basketball league.

The Bucks are reportedly trying to free up cap space in preparation for the July free agency period where a lot of potential franchise-changing players will be available.

Butler is back for the second time in his career for Milwaukee and welcomes a reunion with former teammate and now coach Jason Kidd. They were teammates during the 2010-2011 Dallas championship season in which Butler was not able to play in the Finals due to an injury.

The 15-year veteran spent a single season with the Bucks in 2013-2014, but the team did not qualify for the playoffs. He is not expected to play a lot this coming season as Kidd implements a running game designed for younger legs, but he can be a mentor and provide a veteran voice in the locker room for Milwaukee.

Williams is an NBA journeyman who has played for Indiana, Dallas, New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Miami, and Detroit in his seven-year career. He is expected to be released by the Bucks this offseason.

Meanwhile, Detroit aims to add another long-range shooter and scorer to their roster, as per Inquisitr. Ilyasova can also serve as a stretch four that could help Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe free up space in the middle.

Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy admitted that the team had long desired the 6-foot-10 ACB League champion to fill a need in the team's frontcourt. Van Gundy apparently wants a change of pace for the Pistons next season and he said that Ilyasova's outside shooting is the key.

"Not only is (Ilyasova) a proficient 3-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," the coach said.

A report from Lakers Nation intimated that this deal was in preparation for the much-speculated departure of Monroe to either the Knicks or the Lakers. If ever such rumor materializes, Greg Monroe would still have a reliable power forward alongside him.

TagsNBA 2015, NBA news, NBA News 2015, NBA trades, NBA trade news, NBA Trade News 2015, detroit pistons, Ersan Ilyasova, Caron Butler, Shawne Williams