Greg Monroe is an evil genius.
Minus the evil part.
And maybe the genius part, too.
People with nothing better to do—so, me—were up in arms when Monroe signed his qualifying offer in restricted free agency this past summer rather than ink an offer sheet with another team or long-term contract with the Detroit Pistons. He was betting on himself and his near-nightly doubles-doubles, sure, but the Pistons were and remain an imperfect team. His numbers stood to suffer while playing alongside Josh Smith and Andre Drummond or, worse, he could get injured, bilking himself of serious long-term cash.
None of that’s happened thus far. Monroe’s numbers are stellar, and he’s healthy by all appearances. Oh, and now he wants to be traded, according to the Sporting News’ Sean Deveney:
According to NBA rules, Pistons forward Greg Monroe is now eligible to be traded. And, sources told Sporting News, he wants that, badly. But teams seeking Monroe will need to cough up a first-round pick, and that’s a sticking point.
Monroe was a restricted free agent this summer, but was unable to attract a sizable offer from another team—in part, because teams feared the Pistons would match the offer and later use Monroe as a trade chip, and in part, because no one is quite sure how much Monroe is worth. Monroe’s agent, David Falk, had several potential sign-and-trade deals in place, but the Pistons were unwilling to add to an already bloated payroll, and passed.
But that won’t happen, a source with knowledge of the situation told Sporting News. Detroit is off to a brutal 5-19 start, and Monroe would be happy to exit stage left—though the Pistons want a first-rounder to help with their rebuilding in return.
“Everyone knows he wants out of there,” the source told SN. “There is almost nothing he would shoot down.”
To move Monroe, Deveney says the Pistons are looking for first-round compensation. While that’s not impossible, it is difficult, given the fact Monroe will reach unrestricted free agency this summer and is therefore a flight risk. And his production, though sound, has pretty much been at a standstill over the last couple years. It’s easy to chalk that up to circumstance, but teams might fear it’s part of a larger, ceiling-curbing issue.
Mostly, though, the Pistons might not want to trade him. At least not right away. Their preference could be to find a taker for J-Smoove, so that they’re a more attractive destination for Monroe this summer. Although he may want out of Detroit now, he could sing a different tune if the offensive spacing is no longer a shitshow and the Pistons are dangling more years and money than any other team.
No destinations have officially been listed, but Deveney does name the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns as potential suitors. Both are viable landing spots, though you have to wonder how intrigued the Celtics will be at acquiring someone who will cost long-term money this early into their rebuild.
For now, expect Monroe to stay put. Trades have been happening earlier in the season these last couple years, but Monroe’s situation is one that, barring the Pistons being blown away by an offer, will likely drag into February.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
