Report: Detroit Pistons unlikely to trade Greg Monroe
According to a report, it doesn’t sound too likely that the Detroit Pistons are going to sign-and-trade center Greg Monroe in the off-season.
The Detroit Pistons once again look like they will be missing the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. While the team started to gel after releasing Josh Smith, the season-ending injury to point guard Brandon Jennings greatly diminished the team’s chances at returning to the postseason.
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Going into the off-season, the team will have many decisions to make.
The team will likely have a good lottery pick to add alongside their young core of Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jennings.
One player, the Pistons will have to decide what to do with is center Greg Monroe. Monroe, a restricted free agent last off-season, signed his qualifying offer for one season.
With Monroe being a free agent, it’s unlikely the team could pull off a sign-and-trade for him as he is free to sign wherever.
According to Pistons beat writer David Mayo, it is unlikely that the Pistons sign-and-trade Monroe in the offseason.
"What advantage is there to the Pistons to execute a sign and trade? If they’re taking something back for Monroe, it has to benefit them, too. If a team is giving up something of real value, maybe you could work something out. But again, it has to be a team willing to pay Monroe the maximum amount, for which he agrees to play, and which is willing to give up something for a guy who is available without giving up anything. In other words, a dumb-dumb."
The Pistons front court is crowded with both Drummond and Monroe filling the paint, and with Drummond the more talented of the two, Monroe is likely to be the odd man out.
The Pistons would be better served with a stretch-four to put next to Drummond who can shoot while Drummond mans the paint.
Monroe is a talented player and many teams in need of a strong post presence will probably be calling him right away once free agency begins.
It just doesn’t seem likely Detroit will get anything for him out of it.
[H/T: mlive.com]