It looks like the Milwaukee Bucks will be stuck (I know it’s a little harsh) with Greg Monroe for one more season. Monroe has decided to opt into the final year and $17.9 million of his contract with the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe plans to opt-in on his 2017-18 deal for $17.88 million, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2017
Monroe has some definite NBA skills including his ability to score with his back to the basket and pass out of the post, but the NBA game has changed dramatically from the time the Bucks signed Monroe to a three-year, $51 million contract in 2015 and he has quickly become an NBA dinosaur. A center who is not mobile, doesn’t protect the rim and does most of his damage with his back to the basket in the post and doesn’t stretch the floor is avoided like the plague in 2017, especially for that kind of money.
Monroe is still only 27 and averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game last season, but he would not command anywhere near $17.9 million per season on the open market (unless fellow basketball dinosaur Phil Jackson sees him in the triangle) so Monroe was savvy to pickup this option and cash in for one more year.
This is mostly bad news for a Bucks that is surprisingly pushing the luxury tax this season at $109 million in salary currently before re-signing restricted free agent Tony Snell who will definitely garner some interest with his 3-and-D ability.
