NBA Rumors: Pistons to match max offers for Greg Monroe?
It has been widely believed the Detroit Pistons may be willing to let big man Greg Monroe, who is set to become a restricted free agent, walk if he receives a max offer in order to help save money for Andre Drummond’s free agency.
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However, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, the Pistons will likely match any max offer sheet Monroe signs and worry about Drummond’s deal later.
"There is speculation that the Pistons would let Monroe go if he were to find a team willing to offer a max deal — four years and in the $60-million range. But the Pistons likely will match a max offer and worry about roster and cap issues later.Van Gundy indicated the Pistons are prepared for all scenarios.“The only thing I wouldn’t be comfortable with is making a deal because I got forced into it,” Van Gundy said. “We’re not doing that. … We’ll make a trade we like or won’t make a trade.”Remember, it’s not a matter of whether the Pistons can afford Monroe. Pundits see Josh Smith’s unwieldy contract and the upcoming payday for Andre Drummond and think there is no money for Monroe.Think again. Drummond’s eventual extension wouldn’t kick in until the 2016-17 season. So the three frontcourt guys could be eating up a significant portion of the cap space for only one season.Van Gundy is OK with that now. He would have two seasons to address it — at least that’s the thinking."
Monroe put up 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 65.7% from the free throw line last season.