NBA Rumors: Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks want to sign Greg Monroe
By Bryan Rose
When the Detroit Pistons drafted Greg Monroe, they hoped he, alongside Andre Drummond would be their own Motown version of the ‘Twin Towers’. So far it hasn’t worked out that way and Monroe, entering restricted free agency is unsure of what his future brings.
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The Pistons themselves, namely newly minted head coach Stan Van Gundy have stated they plan to retain the former Georgetown product no matter what type of offer he receives in free agency, though, it’s hard to tell if that’s just lip service or the Pistons are actually serious about committing to Monroe.
Either way, they’re likely to have no shortage of suitors as Nola.com suggests that the New Orleans Pelicans along with the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets will all be in the mix for the Detroit big man.
“While the Pelicans, with about $7 million in salary cap room, don’t appear to have enough cap space to sign Monroe, a source said the team has made some initial inquiries to the Pistons about the possibility of working out a sign-and-trade deal.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks also figure to be in the running for Monroe, who is expected to garner a max contract.”
Not all of the interested teams have the financial flexibility to sign Monroe outright, though even then it’s the Pistons who will have the final word considering they have the right to match any contract offer Monroe receives.