Milwaukee Bucks Trade Rumors: Greg Monroe To New Orleans?

What Can New Orleans Offer For Monroe?

This is where things get really complicated. New Orleans has no young talent to offer–Davis is the only player younger than 25 who could be traded on this roster, and the Pelicans clearly aren’t moving him for Greg Monroe.

Jrue Holiday is one name that comes up. His injury history is slightly terrifying, but Holiday has looked both healthy and very effective this season. The Pelicans could send Holiday and Alexis Ajinca, who’s on a great contract and could be a solid backup center for years in Milwaukee, for Moose and a throw-in (likely Chris Copeland).

The Pelicans don’t have young talent, but they do have the means to get some in the future. New Orleans has all of their first round picks, plus a pair of incoming second rounders this season.

Maybe a pair of those first round picks could accompany a salary dump for the Pelicans. They could send Eric Gordon‘s expiring contract and Omer Asik‘s awful one plus two firsts for Monroe and something like O.J. Mayo‘s expiring deal.

That’s not at all a sexy trade for the Bucks, but assuming those two firsts are 2016 and 2018 that deal means Milwaukee would have some five first round picks over the next three drafts.

It seems like a lot to give up for the Pelicans, but one first to get them Monroe and one to get Asik out of New Orleans doesn’t look too bad. This trade probably never happens over the summer or earlier in the season, but in the final hours before the deadline teams often get desperate.

It’s unclear if Milwaukee wants to deal with the Asik headache, even for that price, but it’s an option. Plus as mentioned in the Lowe piece, Demps might not have the key to the draft picks cabinet. That certainly rules out any sort of Asik deal.

Next: Is There A Deal Here?