The NBA trade deadline is getting closer and that means rumors are heating up as February 20 comes on the schedule and Greg Monroe is a name that will be getting mentioned more, as the Detroit Pistons have to decide whether the young star is part of their future, as the Washington Wizards are interested in the big man and it comes as he is set to be a restricted free agent and a name that could come up includes Bradley Beal.
According to ESPN.com, the Wizards have shown interest in Monroe and now the Pistons must decide whether Andre Drummond or Greg Monroe is the player they want to build around and while it appears that Joe Dumars picked Drummond, reports have the team saying Monroe is not available. The Pistons have already shown that they do not want to pay Monroe on a max deal, meaning the star may try and get one on the open market this offseason to force Detroit's hand and if they feel that he isn't a major cornerstone, they could try and trade him now and build more for the future.
Monroe has been playing very well this season with 16 points and nearly 10 rebounds and with the Pistons already signing Josh Smith last year, they may not want another major contract on their books. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Wizards are a team that could be interested in Monroe at the deadline and this comes after they acquired Marcin Gortat from the Phoenix Suns. The Wizards have money coming off the books with expiring contracts from Gortat and Trevor Ariza as well and with the Pistons starting to fade back a bit in the terrible east, they may be a dealer this season.
The Pistons are 17-24 this season despite being in the top 20 in rebounds per game and they are third in the central division behind the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls. The Wizards are third in their division but one of only a handful of teams at .500 or better this season in the east and they feel making a playoffs push is important for the franchise and getting Monroe could be a part of that.
