Greg Monroe and the Detroit Pistons may not be headed for a divorce.
Of all the NBA’s impending free agents, Monroe has long been considered the consummate flight risk, and for good reason. Rather than sign a new contract in restricted free agency last summer, he inked his qualifying offer, ensuring he reached unrestricted free agency this July, thus preventing the Pistons from having control over his future.
If that’s not a clear sign that he’s been preparing to leave for a while, what would be?
Certainly not this.
From The Detroit News‘s Terry Foster:
One moment Greg Monroe was talking about Pistons owner Tom Gores.
The next, the soon-to-be free-agent forward was talking about possibly staying with the Pistons.
“I don’t know why people have the notion or the thought that I am just out of here already, like it is one foot out the door,” said Monroe, 24. “At the end of the day, I am going to do what any free agent would do. I will listen to everybody and assess it.” …
“I have ties here; I have been here my whole (adult) life,” Monroe said. “They drafted me, so of course I am going to listen to them with the same ear as I listen to everybody else. They have the upper hand.”
Sounds like a guy who hasn’t yet made up his mind, which is smart.
The Pistons can offer Monroe more money and years than any other team. If they’re prepared to deem him a max-contract player, it would be foolish for him to not at least consider a return.
Yes, his foray into restricted free agency was weird. But the way in which he planned for this absolute freedom also suggests that he’s hell-bent on earning as much as possible. And assuming the Pistons go the distance, he’ll take home substantially more by staying with them as opposed to signing with the New York Knicks or Los Angeles Lakers or some other team that’s bound to show interest.
This, of course, presupposes the Pistons want to keep him around. Public comments suggest they do. But at what cost? If they had tendered Monroe a max deal last summer, this may have all been over with already. Plus, it’s difficult to invest so much coin in a player who has yet to headline a team with more than 32 wins.
Expect for Monroe’s free agency, then, to be eventful. He’s made it clear previously that he doesn’t intend to draw it out, but quick decision or not, he’s going to have a lot of options to weigh this summer.
