After a long summer of restricted free agency, Greg Monroe opted to sign the Pistons’ one-year qualifying offer last week. While RFAs usually shop themselves around for the most lucrative offer sheet possible, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports hears that Monroe’s representatives steered other teams from presenting Monroe with an offer sheet because they didn’t want the Pistons to match and keep him for another four seasons.
Now, Monroe will have control over his future next summer, which was apparently his goal this offseason, according to Zillgitt. Zillgitt writes that even if Detroit had offered Monroe a max contract, there was a strong chance he would’ve declined. While the center has likely been frustrated by four losing seasons in Detroit, I have a hard time imagining that Monroe would have rejected a max deal from the Pistons. Still, it’s clear that the center is unhappy with the Pistons and now it seems even more unlikely that he will be with them long-term.
Monroe has career averages of 14.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG and barring a significant regression or an injury, he should be able to cash in next summer. Roughly half the league will have the cap space necessary to give Monroe significant money if things work out for him in 2014/15.