The NBA trade rumors are heating up, but so are the free agency rumors--particularly for teams that are struggling and that will likely miss the playoffs.
Check out the latest buzz below.
Monroe to Leave the Pistons
Greg Monroe is all but certain to leave the Detroit Pistons after this season as an unrestricted free agent.
After negotiations last offseason, Monroe signed a one-year deal instead of becoming a restricted free agent.
The Pistons are in the bottom of the league with a horrible record, just a few games above the Philadelphia 76ers.
Several other teams had pitched sign-and-trade scenarios, but new coach Stan Van Gundy and other managers rejected them.
Now it’s pretty clear Monroe will walk.
“When the one-year qualifier was signed, Van Gundy understood Monroe would almost assuredly walk in 2015 free agency, and nothing has changed,” reported Real GM.
“There were a few teams that were serious, but that’s in the past now. The Pistons were very much within their rights to do what they did. It’s a business, so they chose to do what was best for them. Stan’s been great and his NBA track record is proven. He’s had a lot of success in this league,” Monroe said. “For me, I think there'll be more freedom this time around.”
The blog notes that over a dozen teams should have the necessary cap space to attract Monroe, with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks among the frontrunners.
“To say Monroe has checked out on the locker room may be too harsh, but no one in his position is as fully engaged to a team, a program, as someone who sought and received a long-term contract. For Monroe, this is about being a professional, a steady producer, surviving the year healthy, and likely move on,” the blog said.
Aldridge Doesn’t Dismiss Knicks
