After coming to terms with shooting guard Khris Middleton on a five-year deal earlier this week, the Milwaukee Bucks took another step towards improving their roster heading into the next season.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Bucks have reached an agreement with Greg Monroe on a three-year deal worth approximately $50 million, with the third year being a player option.
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Greg Monroe will sign a three-year, $50M deal with the Bucks, including the player option on the final year, sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2015
Monroe, who was the seventh pick in the 2010 draft, spent the first five years of his career as a member of the Detroit Pistons. His averages from last season include 15.9 points and a career-best 10.2 rebounds per contest. Along with that, Monroe has never averaged less than 15 points and nine rebounds since his rookie season. Those are pretty respectable numbers to say the least.
But despite the solid production he has provided during his five-year career, Monroe came to the conclusion that the Pistons may not be a good fit for him after he and the front office were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal last year.
And based on that line of thinking, Monroe opted to accept a one-year qualifying offer, which allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent this season.
It appears that the move paid off being that team Pistons coach and team president Stan Van Gundy did not seem overly optimistic at the possibility bringing him back, which prompted Monroe to express his thoughts about the Pistons choosing to go in a different direction, as Darrell Williams of the Baton Rouge Louisiana Advocate explains:
"“Stan had smaller teams in Orlando years ago [Andre Drummond] is like Dwight Howard. So Stan wants to put good players around him. The team has different plans and I respect that. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted.”"
While Monroe may have not been appreciated in Detroit, there were a number of teams that were interested in obtaining his services. This list includes the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Knicks just to name a few.
And although each of the teams offered a max contract, Monroe wanted to go to an organization that is built to make the playoffs every year and committed to doing whatever it takes to retain talented players.
Behind the Buck Pass
Monroe will join a Bucks team that won 41 games in 2014-15, following a season in which they won just 15 games. And in Jason Kidd’s first year with the team, the Bucks made it to the playoffs, but their postseason run was short-lived, as they fell to the Chicago Bulls in six games.
One concern about Monroe is that he is not a great rim protector by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, he has never averaged more than 0.7 blocks in any of his five seasons. Another reason why Monroe could be considered a defensive liability is because he doesn’t have the required foot speed to guard opposing big men on the perimeter, which could make for long nights at the office.
However, on a team that allowed just 97.4 points per game, it is possible that his shortcomings on the defensive end of the court may not be a major issue.
Furthermore, with his ability to score in the low post (11.4 points in paint per game), rebounding and passing, Monroe will provide a consistent offensive threat for a Bucks team that ranked 22nd in the league in scoring last season at 97.8 points per game.
That being said, the Bucks have added a player that will improve the makeup of their roster going into the 2015-16 season. And with Jabari Parker expected to return to the lineup, not only will the Bucks be a team in the playoff race going forward, they could also become one of the top four teams in the conference.
Final Grade: B+
Next: NBA: The Biggest Winners And Losers Of Free Agency Day 1
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