Detroit Pistons restricted free agent Greg Monroe may sign a one year deal with the team over a long-term contract and teams like the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and LA Lakers could be interested in a trade down the line or signing Monroe if he makes it to free agency in the summer of 2015 with a number of other top names like LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol.
According to ESPN.com, Monroe may be signing the one year qualifying offer with the Pistons and that would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Monroe may give up some security for the chance to cash in, but the website said that he is not happy with the way the team has been over the past few years and he is resultant to sign long term, even with Stan Van Gundy coming in. Monroe is slated to be one of the top free agents if he makes it to next summer and he could make a nice chunk of cash.
Monroe is young and also has been very healthy through his career and even without trade options, he will be a target for major teams. Last season he averaged 15.2 points and 9.3 rebounds and was a force on the Pistons and now they could look at making moves since they have not been able to trade Josh Smith yet. Smith and Andre Drummond also play up front and the Pistons have made it clear they are keeping Drummond and while they would like to keep Monroe, it may not be in the cards.
Forgetting the trades for a moment, if Monroe makes it onto the market, teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls and others likely will chase him. The Knicks and Lakers will have more money to spend and a team like the Wizards also could jump in, as he played his college ball at Georgetown. Pro Basketball Talk reported that Monroe's agent looked into sign and trade deals, but nothing came of that, including with teams like Portland and Oklahoma City.
Monroe was hit with a two game suspension stemming from a drunk driving arrest, but that likely will not keep him from signing a big deal later down the line. Monroe has shown that he is one of the top young bigs in the league and since he is just 23 years old, he has tons of potential left and once he makes it to the market, he should cash in. The Pistons would like to keep him, but they are saddled with a tough-to-move Josh Smith contract and they also have Andre Drummond signed long term.
The Knicks will need a major free agent move or two next year and while reports have them going after Marc Gasol, Greg Monroe also could be an option for the team to sign. The Lakers will have more money and Monroe could be a long term solution for replacing Pau Gasol and with Kobe Bryant getting a year older, the team will need some young players and Monroe could be a fit. The Lakers already have Julius Randle and this could be another solid addition as a free agent.