Greg Monroe has found himself the subject of numerous trade rumors over the last month as the Detroit Pistons continue to struggle with three bigs on the courts. As the center continues to adjust to playing under a new head coach and a new point guard, he is struggling to find his footing and place on the court. Monroe is now taking his frustrations out on the media amid all of the distractions.
"It does, to be honest. We're still trying to get things right, here," Monroe said, via the Detroit News. "To see that stuff ... I just focus on what we're doing here. I'm here. If that changes, then I'll move forward. If it never does, I'll focus on playing these games and trying to win these games."
Monroe is in an important season considering he is preparing to enter free agency this summer. The 23-year-old is being viewed as one of the best young centers in the league and could be in for a pay raise come the offseason. So far he is averaging 14.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, but is fighting for space on the court with Josh Smith and Andre Drummond.
The Pistons are not actively shopping Monroe before the trade deadline. In fact, they have been pretty adamant that the center will not be going anywhere for the remainder of the year. However, they are listening to calls from teams and the Washington Wizards are the most interested at the moment.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insider reports the Wizards are interested in making a trade for Monroe. According to Kennedy, the Wizards want Monroe whether it is through a trade or free agency. Detroit has another month to determine if they plan on offering the center a max contract in the offseason. If not, a trade could be the best option moving forward instead of losing a great, young player for nothing in return. With Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat both having expiring deals, the Wizards could offer the center a nice salary in free agency. Otto Portor, Martell Webster and Bradley Beal could all be nice in a trade package for Detroit.
Chemistry is lacking in Detroit. Brandon Jennings has yet to figure out how to lead a team. The combo of Smith, Drummond and Monroe has failed so far this year and someone likely needs to go before the deadline. Zach Lowe of Grantland has suggested that Smith is the more expendable player of the bunch considering he has yet to live up to his large contract. However, the Pistons are never going to find a team willing to pick up his current deal.
