Who had Greg Monroe lasting only one season with the Milwaukee Bucks in the “Greg Monroe’s Tenure in Milwaukee” pool?
Well, you may be headed for a clutch, not-at-all-real win.
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the Bucks plan to shop Monroe around the NBA this summer:
Toss in the fact the Bucks will again be shopping Greg Monroe, whom they signed to a max-contract as a free agent last summer, and Michael Carter-Williams, the centerpiece of the Knight deal who has struggled immensely with the Bucks, and this summer promises to be infinitely more fascinating than this debacle of a season.
Shopping Monroe is unavoidable. The Bucks signed him to a two-plus-one deal last July, so he can explore free agency next summer. But Milwaukee cannot afford to keep him that long. He isn’t a good fit for the offense. The team’s attack is already bogged down by a lack of spacing with Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus Michael Carter-Williams (injured). And since Monroe doesn’t add anything defensively, he’s more of a liability than anything.
Yes, he can still score. And pass. But the Bucks have other youngsters to develop and cannot get by with Monroe as their focal point. It will be interesting to see, then, if they’re able to create a market for him. He has the individual numbers but has yet to help headline a playoff team. His opt-out clause at the end of next year will also make any potential suitors reluctant to give up anything of substantial value in return for his services.
The Bucks could try selling those who whiff in free agency on the prospect of acquiring a high-end name who just needs to be surrounded by good perimeter defenders before exploding. And perhaps that is what they’ll do. But, in today’s NBA, moving Monroe figures to be difficult—assuming, of course, the Bucks actually want something or someone of value in return.
