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NBA Rumors: Bucks, Pelicans have talked Greg Monroe trade

By Tom West

Mar 21, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) talks to referee John Goble (30) during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) talks to referee John Goble (30) during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to trade Greg Monroe with little luck so far, but they have found one NBA team in the New Orleans Pelicans to discuss a potential deal with.

Greg Monroe averaged a respectable 15.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game for the Milwaukee Bucks last season. He’s a talented low-post scorer and he can crash the boards, but that skill set looks less and less attractive in today’s NBA when the pace is faster than ever. Combine Monroe’s ageing skill set with his woeful lack of defense, a poor fit in Milwaukee, and a general lack of interest around the league, and trading him is no easy task.

It’s something the Bucks have been looking into for some time, and that isn’t changing this summer.

During The Lowe Post podcast with guest Marc Stein, Zach Lowe said that while it seems difficult for the Bucks to give Monroe away, they have at least spoken with the New Orleans Pelicans:

"“I think [the Bucks] got closer than maybe has been reported with New Orleans during either the draft or free agency.”"

Stein added the following:

"New Orleans is the team that’s been linked with him constantly. Monroe’s a New Orleans native, I think that’s where he wants to end up. Nothing has materialized, and I think, look, his looming free agency is a part of it. Obviously, concerns about his defense, that’s a part of it as well."

To go along with the glaring defensive issues and limited spacing (54.2 percent of Monroe’s shots came within three feet last season), a player option for 2017-18 makes Monroe and his $17.1 million contract even harder to move. That lack of interest and eagerness from the Bucks to trade him only hurts his value further.

The Bucks have just re-signed Miles Plumlee to a four-year, $52 million deal, so him gaining more minutes or starting with far more defensive impact at center isn’t out of the question. If Monroe stays, that could still be the case in time, but if the Bucks have their way, Monroe is leaving.

Perhaps Monroe will get his reported wish and head home to New Orleans. So long as Omer Asik is on the roster, the Pelicans hardly have their answer at center either.

However, if talks with the Pelicans aren’t coming to anything and other teams remain uninterested, it looks like the Bucks’ efforts to trade Monroe won’t be paying off any time soon and he could hang around into the start of next season.

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