The Buck Stops Here Roundtable #3: Remaining Free Agency Decisions
By Tim Wray
Once again, it has been widely rumoured that Greg Monroe is on the trade block. Should the Bucks trade him? If so, where are some realistic destinations and what sort of return should Milwaukee be looking for?
AM: They should have done it at the deadline. It seems like there’s virtually no market for him now following on from a free agency packed with bigs and a couple of high profile centers being dumped for nothing too.
I’d take close to anything as I’m not sure the Bucks will improve if he still gets meaningful minutes. It’s not good for the Bucks, and it’s certainly no longer good for Moose. A clean break seems wise, but unless the Pelicans are still hoping for a hometown reunion I’m not sure how it happens.
TP: I do think the Bucks should trade Monroe, but finding a destination certainly seems to be the tricky part. The biggest reason for this seems to be the uncertainty about what Monroe’s value actually is.
Monroe is a really good basketball player, just not a good fit with the style of play that the Bucks are developing. This fit issue has, sadly, reduced his value around the league. Also, fewer teams are interested in featuring a post scorer. With that said, there must be teams where Monroe would fit better than he does in Milwaukee. Right?
RF: Remember the rosy days when the whole of the Bucks fanbase came together to hold hands and sing songs of praise around the surprise signing of Greg Monroe? Those were the days.
I think he should be traded, but I’m not sure if that will be happening before the season gets underway. Like the other guys said, at this point in time it just doesn’t look like a strong market for a guy of his type (i.e. somewhat highly paid offensive-minded center). I’d probably hold pat until some players around the league go down with injuries and put a couple of GMs on the hot seat and into desperation mode.
He may have not nearly as much value as he had last season, but I have to believe the Bucks can still get a semi-decent return.
TWindisch: Honestly, I’m more and more disappointed each day Greg Monroe remains on the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s just dumb at this point. He doesn’t fit on the Bucks at all, and the partnership hasn’t worked well for either side. Time to end it.
Even if Milwaukee just gets a mediocre pick or some role player, trading Monroe now is just lifting a massive weight off of Milwaukee’s back. And off of their books. He needs to go, for the Bucks sake and for his.
JT: I think all Bucks fans feel that Monroe should be traded, so that obviously makes the second question all the more significant and tougher to sort out. The teams that were in need of a big man (like Dallas, Charlotte and Portland) have quickly filled their respective big men holes since the beginning of free agency and have theoretically bowed out of the Greg Monroe sweepstakes as a result.
At this point, I think I’d welcome any offer for Monroe. If it’s just a future lottery protected pick, I’d trade him. If it’s just a solid role player on a reasonable contract, I’d trade him. I think the subtraction of Monroe, by itself, is a clear addition for the Bucks and finally clears the biggest cloud hanging over them right now.
Of course, I say all of this while being resigned to the fact that I think it’s very likely Monroe stays, but a man can dream, right?
TWray: As long as the front office won’t trade him for a Top-55 protected second round pick, I’m in.
The expanding salary cap doesn’t make a one year rental on Greg Monroe at $17 million per year too unattractive, especially when Timofey Mozgov and Ian Mahinmi are both set to make $16 million next season, however as Adam said, there just isn’t enough of a market for him anymore. As Tom pointed out, the NBA is steadily trending away from post scorers like Monroe, which has seriously impacted his trade value. Further, teams like Charlotte or Dallas who may have been possible destinations for Monroe, were able to find more cap friendly alternatives in free agency.
I’m definitely with Jordan when he says that Monroe is at the point with the Bucks where it’s addition by subtraction. We saw the results last season when he was benched, he just doesn’t fit with the timeline and direction that Milwaukee is heading. As such, I’d be much more willing to part with him for a lot less than I would have five months ago at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, the odds are that the Bucks will be stuck with him for the rest of the season and I don’t think too many teams will be desperate enough to trade for him during the year, especially because he can opt-out of his contract next summer.
Next: Overall Free Agency Outlook So Far