Could Greg Monroe Leave Or Be Traded?
The Detroit Pistons are playing a type of basketball that fans haven’t seen in years. They’re good and the rest of the NBA knows it.
They’re playing a level of inspired basketball with no Josh Smith and seem to look like a completely different team with a new identity.
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What kind of effect will that have on Greg Monroe?
Many analysts and fans alike wonder where Monroe will play next season. After signing a qualifying offer in the summer it was up in the air as the 2014-2015 NBA season loomed closer.
With Smith it seemed like an absolute lock that Monroe would no longer be a Piston.
He in his short career has never been part of a winning season and much less a playoff-bound team. Starting 5-23 with Smith probably left a sour taste in his mouth.
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Why should he be starting on the bench when a less efficient, terrible Smith was stinking it up on the court? Especially with all the losses? He seemed disinterested often and even looked like he already had a foot out of the door.
The Pistons were even looking to unload Monroe somewhere via a trade. Though a harder route with his no-trade clause they seemed to be willing to take anything since it seemed like a lock he was gone.
In the awkward years of the Pistons under Joe Dumars and the likes of John Kuester and Lawrence Frank, Monroe was the lone bright spot for the Pistons.
With Smith though many fans and pundits were almost 100% sure Monroe was gone. Smith even played the same position and killed the offensive unit on the court.
Except Smith isn’t here anymore and the Pistons are rolling right showing tons of grit and passion.
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Monroe is finally starting once again and having a positive effect on the offense as the go-to scorer. The chance of him coming back is much higher than it was a mere month ago.
Though things are good the Pistons have left him potentially available in free agency. The Los Angeles Lakers have inquired about him recently (though they probably have nothing to interest the Pistons).
But will the Pistons be willing to trade Monroe at this point? And will Monroe even want to be traded?
He has bird rights with the Pistons meaning they can sign him to a 5-year max contract compared to a 4-year max from other teams. If he’s traded he’ll lose that opportunity.
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There are some cases for why the Pistons may not want Monroe. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has said that he isn’t too keen on his defense and will have to try to hide it within his squad.
Many critics of Monroe also point to the style of offense Van Gundy ran with the Orlando Magic with Dwight Howard. A 4-out, 1-in strategy with a stretch power forward is something that Monroe doesn’t provide.
There’s also the argument that the potential returns could be good for the team. But how much are other teams willing to give up for half a season of Monroe? It can’t be that much as they too have to think of their futures.
A trade just doesn’t seem too likely now that the Pistons and Monroe are playing well. All the disputes seem to gone as winning seems to truly cure everything.
But will Monroe potentially leave in the future via Free Agency? There is a reason after all why he took the initial qualifying offer.
Like stated, if he stays with the Pistons he will have bird rights and gain more overall money of the Pistons. It will however remain to be seen if the Pistons and the rest of the Association views him as a max player.
The Detroit Pistons will have a busy off-season of decisions. It will be interesting to see how they handle the case of Greg Monroe who is one of their top offensive contributors.
Now, your thoughts. Will Greg Monroe be traded this season? Or will they keep him? Will he stay with his original team or leave town for greener pastures and winning? Whatever the case, the Pistons should think long and hard as they build around their superstar-in-the-making known as Andre Drummond.