Greg Monroe rumors: Monroe doesn’t want a long-term deal with Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons’ free agent big man Greg Monroe remains a restricted free agent and although many teams showed initial interest, he hasn’t been close to signing an offer sheet with another team and there haven’t been any serious discussions about joining another team. Although it seems inevitable Monroe will eventually re-sign with the Pistons since they hold almost all of the cards in the process, he can still dictate what kind of contract, in terms of length, he winds up receiving.
More from Detroit Pistons
- NBA rumors: Pistons determined to trade Killian Hayes
- The new NBA flopping rules explained
- NBA rumors: Nets clear cap space, perhaps posturing for Cam Johnson
- NBA Free Agency Live Deal Tracker: Grading every signing made worst to best
- NBA Free Agency 2023: 3 landing spots for Jerami Grant you never thought of
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insider reports Monroe and his camp don’t want a long term deal with the Pistons and he does sign one, they want an opt-out clause.
"The problem for the Pistons is that Monroe and his camp are not overly thrilled with the idea of signing a long-term deal at what they perceive to be less than market valuation.Much like Bledsoe there is a sense that a deal is going to be reached eventually, the question becomes for how much and how long? The Pistons obviously want to lock Monroe in for as long as they can, especially if they can keep the number in the $10-$12 million per year range.Monroe’s camp wants a short-term deal or a player option so he can hit the unrestricted market if he agrees to a lower dollar deal."
Staying with the Pistons on a short-term deal may be a good player because Monroe will likely be better utilized by a superior coach in Van Gundy. That way he can hit the open market later as an unrestricted free agent and potentially have more suitors.
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. In his career, Monroe has averaged 14.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 50.8% from the field and 67.8% from the charity stripe.