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Milwaukee Bucks: Maybe the center market isn’t dead after all

By Ti Windisch

Jan 25, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) runs into Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) after recovering the ball during the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Philadelphia won 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) runs into Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) after recovering the ball during the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Philadelphia won 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Milwaukee Bucks offseason will largely depend on Greg Monroe, who may be encouraged by recent news regarding Nerlens Noel.

Greg Monroe will play a huge role in how this summer goes for the Milwaukee Bucks. Monroe, who’s contract seemed like an albatross a year ago, proved he’s got what it takes to be effective in the modern NBA by turning in a great 2016-17 season.

Now he’s got a big decision to make. Monroe could opt in to another year with the Bucks and make nearly $18 million, or he could opt out and test the free agency market. For the most part, Bucks analysts have believed Monroe won’t get contract offers worth anything close to $18 million annually.

That is, potentially, until reports surfaced on Tuesday about another center supposedly on his way to getting multiple max deals shoved at him. According to a scout.com report, Nerlens Noel is going to get more than one max offer sheet offered to him when free agency opens in July.

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Noel’s max is going to be something like $25 million per year. That’s not a bad payday for a player who averaged 8.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with the Dallas Mavericks in his stint there at the end of last season.

Now it’s important to note than Noel’s worth is in his potential, and his rim protection, more than his raw scoring or anything like that. He’s a completely different player than Monroe, and one that’s generally seen as being a better fit for a league that’s putting more emphasis on pace and space than ever before.

He’s also 23 years old, meaning it’s reasonable to assume Nerlens has his best basketball days ahead of him still. The 26-year-old Monroe still has some prime years left, but those three years matter a lot when it comes to long contracts being discussed.

Noel getting max offers certainly doesn’t mean Monroe will as well. According to reports from the last two years, the Bucks tried unsuccessfully to deal the Moose at more than one trade deadline.

Still, for a center market in free agency that has been considered lifeless it’s noteworthy to see that there is still a market, reportedly from more than one team, for centers. Since Dallas will almost certainly match any offer, those teams interested in Noel will have to look elsewhere if they want to add a big man.

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Could Monroe, who remade himself as a capable defender if not a rim protector, serve as a fill-in? It’s at least a possibility that some team would have interest in Moose were he to opt out. There’s some sort of market out there for centers.

Monroe’s options are essentially three-fold. He could opt out and try to work out a longer deal with the Bucks, something star players like LeBron James have done lately. He could opt in and see how things look next summer.

Or, Monroe could opt to see if some team that misses out on Nerlens Noel wants to throw a big money offer at him. Monroe is coming off of a really solid season that saw him function as the second-best Buck, behind an All-Star starter in Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, Bleacher Report recently named him the second-best center available in free agency, behind only Noel.

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It still feels like Moose will opt in, but nothing has been definitively reported either way, and Monroe does have options this summer. Whatever he chooses to do will doubtlessly have huge ramifications for Milwaukee going forward.

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