Greg Monroe spent the entire offseason getting questions regarding his future. The center was a restricted free agent with the Detroit Pistons and it was being reported he had no interest in staying with the team unless they were willing to give him a long-term deal. The issue was that no other team made an offer on Monroe for fear of Detroit matching it. The result was Monroe being forced to sign a one-year qualifying offer and still answering questions about his future.
Monroe is setting the record straight that he is not seeking out a trade from the Detroit Pistons, nor has the team approached him about one. In speaking with the Detroit Free Press, Monroe noted that just because he accepted a one-year qualifying offer worth $5.5 million, does not mean he is the target of trades. He stated that his relationship with the franchise and his teammates was fine and now he was focused on basketball.
"It wasn't rumors, it was all lies," Monroe said. "Because I know what really went on, I'm not worried about it. ... I know the truth. At the end of the day, I'm focused on getting ready for the season. All that stuff is behind me. I could (not) really care less. My family and I made the decision. I have an agent who handles that and I don't feel as a player it's something I should talk about. Just because I signed a qualifying offer people assume I'm leaving. That's not the case. I love Detroit and the people here. I'm looking forward to playing for this coaching staff. There's no problem with any of my teammates. I went to Josh and we talked. He knows what I said and didn't say."
Most of this statement stems from the fact that rumors began to circulate that Monroe and Josh Smith had an ongoing feud and neither wanted to play with each other anymore. Smith's contract is untradeable, meaning Monroe was the player likely on the outs. Many believed that was why Monroe was not agreeing to any contract offers from Detroit since he wanted out of the franchise.
Rumors or not, Monroe's future is now in his hands. The center will become an unrestricted free agent next summer with the chance to sign anywhere. A great season means a long-term, high-paying contract. A down season means he could get short-changed on an offer. Monroe failed to be consistently efficient last season playing alongside Andre Drummond and Smith. There was simply too much size on the court. With Stan Van Gundy as head coach, the Pistons are hopeful for better results.
