Some of the greatest joys of being a sports fan, besides your favorite team winning the championship, are the debates that arise between fellow sports nuts along the way. It’s with this in mind that we at Hoops Rumors want to provide a forum for basketball fanatics to voice their opinions, debate trending topics, and simply hang out with like-minded hoops aficionados. We’ll be posting a topic for discussion on weeknights, and we hope that this will become a regular part of your sports day. We began the series on Thursday with a discussion about Dwyane Wade‘s contract situation with the Heat, which can be viewed here.
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Now that the preamble is done, let’s get to today’s topic: What does the future hold for current Pistons big man Greg Monroe?
Thursday saw some early action on the trade front, with the Bucks shedding some salary and clearing up a logjam in their frontcourt, and the Pistons landing the stretch-four they had been seeking. I’m of course talking about the deal that sent Ersan Ilyasova to Detroit in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams.
There’s a high probability that Monroe won’t be returning to Detroit next season, and the talented big man is sure to be one of the more in demand players available on the open market this summer. The acquisition of Ilyasova could be interpreted as the franchise preparing itself for Monroe’s departure. If that is indeed the case, where do you all think Monroe will end up playing next season? How much do you predict Monroe will end up signing for? And…is he worth that amount?
Now it’s time to turn the floor and spotlight over to you, the readers. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. Feel free to expand on the topic beyond what I’ve already laid out. Most of all…have fun.
Atlanta really wants him but he’s a starter and not better than Millsap or Horford
I’d have to think that if Atlanta was going to offer a max salary to a power forward, it would be to Millsap, who has proven he fits in well with Mike Budenholzer’s system.
Assuming LaMarcus Aldridge looks elsewhere, Portland could be a nice fit. What about Boston? If they can add a rim protector, he would be an interesting fit there. The same can be said for Toronto. I don’t see any real fits otherwise. I also don’t consider Monroe to be a max player. Maybe I could see between 15-17 million, but not anything more than that, and personally, I think he is probably really worth slightly less than that considering he doesn’t protect the rim and can’t come out and guard on the perimeter
Boston is a possibility, though I wouldn’t call Monroe a rim protector with his career average of 0.6 blocks per game. I also don’t think he’s a max player talent-wise. But someone will certainly overpay for him this offseason. My money is on the Knicks making the strongest push for him. They have the need and the cap space. Plus, not many top tier players will be tripping over themselves to take the Knicks money with the state of that franchise currently. So I can see Phil Jackson making a desperation move involving Monroe.
Ed, whats the chances we see a Melo-Monroe-Marc Frontcourt domination team next season?
Zero. I don’t see any way that Gasol heads to New York. If by some chance he leaves Memphis, he’ll have numerous destinations to choose from that are way more attractive. He’s also not a limelight guy, so the brighter lights of playing in New York City will likely hold little appeal. But Melo and Monroe playing alongside one another is a very good possibility.
I was saying that if boston ended up with monroe, they would need a rim protector. I think you accidentally misread it…I don’t see the fit with the Knicks, but then again, I personally believe Phil Jackson seems to be headed down a really poor road, assuming he is this committed to running a triangle offense as his primary system. He doesn’t seem to understand today’s NBA. Melo is their 4, and on nights where he needs help defensively in that area, they could use a 3 and D 3 that can also play the 4 a bit. They need a rim protector, a wing player or 2, and an upgrade over Jose Calderon would be nice if possible.
On a side note, we need a reply button, and an edit function for these posts lol
Ah, I see what you were saying. Yep, Boston would need to nab a player like Willie Cauley-Stein if they wanted to add Monroe. I shudder to think what a Kelly Olynyk-Monroe pairing would look like defensively. But I do think Monroe would be a decent fit with the Knicks. I’ve come around to the idea recently of Monroe being a fit with New York. Just not at a max level salary…which is what the Knicks will likely end up paying for his services.
Thank you Ed! I agree 100%. Many people believe Gasol will head to NY. He said it was too cold and duke during the All Star break, and already has a good enough team in Memphis. Like you said, other teams have more to attract him than NY with Melo and Monroe. I agree.
So where do YOU see Gasol ending up?
He’s gonna go to the Warriors. Bogut, Barnes, and the 30th pick for Gasol and a 2nd round pick. He would fit in perfectly to the Warriors system and the Warriors would be legitimate contenders for years
That’s an interesting idea, but I think the Warriors would have a ton of trouble actually pulling it off. They’d be hard-capped if they accepted a player via sign-and-trade, and unless they find a team willing to take Lee as a straight salary dump with no salary going back in return, it would be really tough to pull this one off financially.
I think the 3 teams that could use Monroe the most are the Hawks, the Bucks, and the Raptors. Due to his size and good but not great mid-range shot he can fit at either the 4 or the 5 on most teams. I also don’t believe he will command the max but I do see him getting a 4 year 16-17 million per year deal. The Hawks will more than likely lose Milsap to a max deal they can’t afford, are more likely to resign Carroll anyway, and Monroe can also take Horford’s spot at the 5 when he leaves after next year. With the Bucks trade of Ilyasova (ironically to the Pistons) they have now cleared max cap money if it takes that much to sign him and with a clear need at the 5 (none of Pachulia, Plumlee, or Henson are 5’s IMO) and a young, talented, playoff bound core (Carter-Williams, Parker, Giannis, Henson, Mayo, and the number 17 pick this year) this represents the best case scenario for any free agent 5 Monroe included and if the Bucks miss out on their prime target of Brook Lopez I could see them offering the max to Marc Gasol and if that doesn’t work, then Monroe. The Raptors need some inside scoring to pair with Valenciunas and with Lowry and Derozan would give them a team to contend with in the East for sure. I see it as follows- Bucks, Knicks, Raptors, Hawks, Blazers in order of most likely to least likely…
The Bucks would be an interesting option for Monroe. I don’t see the Raptors being in play because that is a squad that needs a rim protector in the worst way. Something Monroe is not. Out of the teams you listed, I’d go with this order of likelihood: Knicks, Hawks, Blazers, Bucks, Raptors.
With the NBA game becoming a more perimeter-oriented style of play and stretch-4’s becoming the norm instead of a rarity I think the need for a rim-protector dimishes with each passing game and someone who can provide the more rare back to the basket offense becomes more important. Just curious why you think the Hawks and Blazers are more likely to end up with him? Do you think the Bucks end up with one of Lopez/Gasol and if you do which one?
I think the Hawks and Blazers are more likely because both teams could lose star players who man the same spot as Monroe. Aldridge in Portland and Millsap in Atlanta. If either team (or both) lose their stars, it will create a vacuum that Monroe could fill.
As for the Lopez/Gasol question…I don’t think there’s any chance of Gasol ending up in Milwaukee. There was a report earlier today (link to hoopsrumors.com) that had Lopez and Tyson Chandler as being prime targets for the Bucks. I think Lopez would be a very real possibility given his ties to Kidd, and what a mess the Nets are right now roster-wise.
With a returning Jabari Parker and the addition of Lopez if it happens where would you put the Bucks in the East, assuming logical additions to other teams?
If the Bucks get Lopez and everyone else sort of has the summer that we expect, I think Milwaukee’s a top-four team in the East, if Lopez stays healthy, of course.
There’s quite a bit in flux right now regarding the East, so I’ll have to take a somewhat blind guess here. But I’ll go with 1. Cavaliers 2. Bulls 3. Wizards 4. Hawks 5. Bucks 6. Heat 7. Pacers 8. Raptors. Any of those teams losing/adding significant pieces would certainly change the landscape dramatically. Had to get that caveat in there…
Heat?
Magic?
Sign in Trade?
You ask where I think Gasol will end up? Same thing teammate Beno Udrih thinks. Nowhere. He’s not going to leave a title contending team for any other risky situation, I don’t see it happening. But, it is the NBA… Anything can happen. I was rudely reminded last summer when LBJ left my HEAT