Pelicans trade Mirotic to Bucks in deal involving Pistons
The New Orleans Pelicans traded forward Nikola Mirotic to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, the teams announced.
It's a three-team deal that also includes the Detroit Pistons.
The Bucks will also send forward Thon Maker to Detroit and center Jason Smith, along with four future second-round draft picks to the Pelicans. Detroit will send forward Stanley Johnson to New Orleans.
Mirotic, 27, has emerged as an above-average stretch big alongside Pelicans frontcourt star Anthony Davis. Through 32 games this season, the 6-foot-10 power forward has averaged 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 36.8 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Johnson, selected No. 8 by the Pistons in the 2015 draft, has produced mixed results through parts of four seasons. In 267 career games, the 22-year-old has averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 22.1 minutes per contest.
The 32-year-old Smith is a journeyman center who's made 18 combined appearances this season during stints with the Bucks and Wizards.