NBA Rumors: Pistons hoping Greg Monroe doesn’t accept qualifying offer
The Greg Monroe saga has taken another interesting turn.
After failing to negotiate a deal with the Detroit Pistons or any other team in the NBA, the former lottery pick reportedly agreed to accept the Pistons’ qualifying offer worth ~$5 million which would initially be signing a one-year deal, allowing himself to become an unrestricted free agent the following season. While marquee free agents don’t often accept qualifying offers, this isn’t an unusual routine in free agency, so where exactly does the twist come in? According to Vincent Goodwill of Detroit News, the Pistons are actually hoping Monroe reneges on the qualifying offer.
It appears the #Pistons are holding out hope that Monroe won't take the Q/O until he actually signs it...11th hour hope
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) August 13, 2014
If Monroe does what the Pistons hopes, we’d be entering unchartered territory in regards to the depths of free agency that has been tested in these last few years. According to Larry Coon, creator of CBAFaq.com, if Monroe refuses to sign a deal or accept the qualifying offer, “the player continues to be a restricted free agent. The team and player are free to negotiate a new contract after the qualifying offer expires — the deadline only affects the player’s ability to accept his qualifying offer.”
The Pistons haven’t exactly made their intentions known as Greg Monroe has recently denied a five-year deal on the table, but if one is forced to take a gander at attempting to guess their intentions, they would rather 1) sign Monroe far below his market value or 2) turn his restricted free agency in assets as a sign-and-trade could be agreed to if the right suitor is found.
If there’s a light at the end of this tunnel, the solution could be some time away as it looks like the two sides aren’t seeing eye to eye at the moment.