Greg Monroe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Hill, Cunningham, Antetokounmpo

December 11th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Solomon Hill is one of Pacers coach Frank Vogel‘s favorite players because of his versatility and work ethic, writes Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. That’s in spite of a report last week that Indiana has made the swingman available for a trade and the lack of playing time Hill has seen since the team declined his rookie scale option for next season.

“He knows the fact that he’s not in the rotation to start the season does not mean his days are numbered here,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “We made that very clear that we’re going to give some other guys looks at that position to give us an offensive boost. We’re trying to improve on the offensive end this year and he’s got to stay ready. There are going to be times when he’s needed and he’s going to have an opportunity to get back into the rotation at some point.”

Hill’s best work comes on defense, so the notion that at least some of the Pacers braintrust isn’t sold on him is another sign of the team’s shift toward more offense, Buckner posits. Here’s more from the Central Division:

LeBron James has quickly formed a bond with Jared Cunningham off the court, but it’s unlikely to play much of a role when the Cavs must decide next month whether to guarantee Cunningham’s salary for the rest of the season, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
The Bucks gave Greg Monroe a max deal and Khris Middleton a new five-year, $70MM contract, but the executives and scouts who spoke to Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times are higher on Giannis Antetokounmpo than any other player on the Milwaukee roster. Antetokoumpo, making slightly less than $1.954MM this season, becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension in the summer ahead.
Bulls management basically said this summer that they believe they have a roster with a real chance to win the championship this year, as K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes in a mailbag column, one in which he says he doesn’t think the team will make a trade this season.

Pistons Rumors: Monroe, Drummond, D-League

December 5th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Greg Monroe‘s decision to leave Detroit in free agency was set in motion when the franchise declined to offer him an extension in 2013, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. During that summer, former Pistons president Joe Dumars made a big-money offer to Josh Smith and swung a trade for Brandon Jennings, but elected not to lock Monroe up long-term. Monroe developed a strong relationship with Stan Van Gundy, who replaced Dumars in 2014 and became both coach and president of basketball operations, but Monroe felt like his decision was already clear. “Us parting ways from my eyes and a guy like Stan, it was mutual,” Monroe said. “They were going in a different direction, and it was probably time for me to go separate ways. I was talking to him, and he was just kinda giving me advice about my decision, honestly. He was telling me what he thought about the teams that he knew I had interest in, and that’s basically it.” Monroe signed a three-year, $51MM deal with Milwaukee in July.

There’s more news out of Detroit:

Monroe became a champion of small-market teams when he chose the Bucks over high-profile suitors like the Knicks and Lakers, but that didn’t figure into his decision, Ellis writes in the same story. “Obviously bigger markets have more opportunities, but at this point in my life, I’m focused on basketball,” Monroe said. “I just want to be in best situation for me as far as winning games. At some point, I do want to get into other endeavors, but I’m not going to be on any commercials or anything.”
Monroe tells Terry Foster of The Detroit News that he is elated at the progress of former teammate Andre Drummond, who has become one of the NBA’s top centers in his fourth season. Through 20 games, Drummond is the NBA’s leading rebounder with 17.0 per contest. Monroe got to watch Drummond develop his game in practice and said it was a mutual learning experience. “I definitely tried to help him as much as possible,” Monroe said. “And I definitely learned some stuff from him.”
Having 15 players with guaranteed contracts limits the Pistons when it comes to D-League callups, writes David Mayo of MLive. Responding to a reader’s question, Mayo speculates that Detroit might look to upgrade at power forward or maybe acquire backcourt scoring by the trade deadline. But he said any move is unlikely to involve a D-League callup, given the current state of the roster.

Eastern Notes: Redick, Patterson, Monroe

December 5th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavaliers have been hit hard by injuries to begin the season and have struggled a bit as a result, but the team would be remiss to believe that the return to health of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert will cure all that ails them, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. LeBron James apparently shares Haynes’ opinion, saying, “I hope we don’t think that way. It’s never that way. When you get your guys back, you prepare just as you prepare before. There’s only one guy ever in the world that everything will be all right when he comes back and that’s Jesus Christ. Other than that, you can’t bank on nobody being OK.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick was shocked when the Magic dealt him away to the Bucks in 2013, and though he is happy playing in Los Angeles he still has fond memories of his time in Orlando, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “If you have a family, if you have a wife, it’s just a great place to play,” Redick said. “L.A. can be a little more stressful in that regard. My wife and I joke all the time, like, ‘Man, life was simple in Orlando. The rent was so low. We didn’t have to deal with traffic or state income tax.’ There’s all these other things out here. But playing in Los Angeles, playing in a big market, playing for a high-profile team — those are things that I wanted in free agency. I wanted the chance to win. So I’m happy, man.“
The Hawks have assigned Lamar Patterson to the D-League, and he will report to the Spurs’ affiliate in Austin as part of the flexible assignment rule, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays (via Twitter).
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy appreciated the abilities of Greg Monroe, who departed as a free agent and inked a deal with the Bucks this past offseason, but he couldn’t justify tying up a large chunk of the franchise’s cap space between Monroe and Andre Drummond, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes. “I think Greg played some at the four obviously and was good, but his best position is at center,” Van Gundy said. “He knew that. We knew that. What of your resources are you going to tie up at basically one position? Or were you willing to play with two centers in a league that’s going the other way? It didn’t have anything to do with the person, really. It was the situation where we had to make a decision. I miss Greg, I do…. He’s a great rebounder, and a great competitor and teammate.“

Central Notes: Drummond, Thompson, Monroe

November 20th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Drummond‘s game has taken another leap this season, and while the challenge for him is to become more consistent, the soon-to-be restricted free agent is impressing many, including Pistons owner Tom Gores, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News examines.

“He’s developing incredibly and I’m not surprised. We knew it from the first time he got on the floor,” Gores said. “He worked so hard this summer to develop some other skills and right now it’s showing on the floor and his character is reflecting on the team. You can talk about it, but then you have to do it. Andre’s doing it and he’s also developing great chemistry among all the players. You can say it or you can do it.”

Gores already referred to Drummond as a “max player” this spring, and with the Pistons and Drummond working in concert when they tabled extension discussions with the idea of allowing the team more cap flexibility in the summer, it doesn’t appear as though the big man’s free agency will carry much suspense. See more from the Central:

Consistency might be the last hurdle for Drummond, but it’s a hallmark for Tristan Thompson, who played his 300th consecutive game Thursday, not counting the preseason games he missed while holding out this fall for his new deal with the Cavs. Thompson’s willingness to always be ready helped endear him to LeBron James, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
The decision to trade Brandon Knight didn’t clear the way for the Bucks to lay a five-year, $70MM contract on Khris Middleton, as Jason Kidd suggested, as much as it gave them the opportunity to sign Greg Monroe, argues Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Milwaukee struggled offensively last season after shedding Knight, but bringing Monroe in as the remedy to that has knocked a hole in the team’s defense, Bontemps points out. Kidd remains confident, chalking the poor play up to the team’s youth, Bontemps notes.
Free agent signee Monta Ellis is bouncing back after a slow start and the remade Pacers roster has the look of a playoff team, even if Indiana isn’t in 50-win territory, opines Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.

Eastern Notes: Drummond, Prokhorov, Green

November 10th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov making a series of moves recently that expanded the Russian’s holdings in New York’s sports and entertainment market, some concern exists that these real estate moves may diminish his interest, as well as financial commitment, to the team, according to NetsDaily. Dmitry Razumov, Prokhorov’s CEO and chairman of the Nets, disputed any notion that team ownership is losing interest in the franchise or the NBA, NetsDaily adds. “Without doubt ownership is focused on team performance,” said Razumov. “Our new projects will contribute to the team’s ultimate success by providing a best-in-class practice facility and a D-League team as a resource for players and coaching staff.”

The team has made a series of roster moves that have reduced the team’s payroll since Paul Pierce departed as a free agent prior to the 2014/15 season, but Razumov suggests these decisions were not just about the money, and added that fans should give the rebuilding process a chance to bear fruit, the NetsDaily scribe relays. “We also understand that a team of largely new, younger players needs time to come together and we have to give the coach and the players a chance to do their work without breathing down their necks,” Razumov continued. “The many devoted fans who have been with us through thick and thin will recall we have been through this before, and have managed to get to the playoffs three times in the last three seasons. We have every hope that the same thing is possible this season.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat have suspended swingman Gerald Green for two games, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links), and the team confirmed. The suspension is for what the team is referring to as “detrimental conduct,” Wojnarowski adds. Green has been away from the team following an incident last week that apparently left him bleeding and unconscious.
Pistons center Andre Drummond is off to a spectacular start to the 2015/16 campaign, and much of his success is due to the departure of Greg Monroe, who signed with the Bucks this offseason, Adam Woodard of For the Win writes. Drummond, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer, could see offer sheets for deals worth approximately $100MM come his way, Woodard opines.
Drew Gooden has played for 10 different teams during his 13-year NBA career, and he now finds himself an important rotation piece on the Wizards, a longevity that the player attributes to his versatility, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays. “I’m like a tunnel rat,” Gooden told Mannix. “Every situation I’m in I have to reinvent myself, have to do what I can do to fit in. I came [to Washington] on a 10-day contract and I made the best of it. But the league has changed, in a good way for me. When I came in the league, the biggest knock was that I was a tweener, that I couldn’t play the three or the four. Now there is value in that. It’s made its way full circle.”

Central Notes: Love, Meeks, Monroe, Noah

October 29th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers re-signed Kevin Love to a five-year max deal this summer, and LeBron James indicated Wednesday that getting the former All-Star involved is the team’s top offensive priority, notes Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love is so far the team’s second-leading scorer, at 17.5 points per game, a point behind James.

“We’ll use Kevin however he wants to be used,” James said. “I told you Kevin is going to be our main focus. He’s going to have a hell of a season. He’s going to get back to that All-Star status. He’s the focal point of us offensively. I know I can go out and get mine when I need it. But I need Kev to be as aggressive as he was tonight, and when he rebounds at the level he did tonight, the shots will automatically fall for him.”

See more from the Central Division:

Jodie Meeks suffered a Jones fracture to his right foot during the Pistons game Wednesday, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told reporters, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. It’s an injury that some doctors say requires four to six weeks for recovery in some cases, Ellis tweets, though the team hasn’t released a timetable and specifics are scarce, Ellis notes.
Caron Butler played a half-season for the Bucks in 2013/14 and was briefly on the roster following this year’s Ersan Ilyasova trade, but Milwaukee can thank the native of nearby Racine for his hand in helping the team successfully recruit Greg Monroe, as Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times details. Butler, now with the Kings, and Monroe were teammates on the Pistons last season. “He grew up around here [Milwaukee] and played here and I listened to what he would say about Milwaukee,’’ Monroe said of Butler. “He had some positive things to say about being here. He also definitely played a role in me coming here.’’
Joakim Noah came to Fred Hoiberg with the suggestion that the Bulls start Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic instead of him, the new Bulls coach tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Noah was No. 8 in the 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings we compiled before the start of camp, though he figures to drop in the upcoming edition of our rankings now that he’s coming off the bench.

Eastern Notes: Monroe, Mahinmi, Spoelstra

October 28th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite meeting with the Knicks first during the free agent signing period this offseason, Greg Monroe dispelled the notion that New York was ever the frontrunner for his services, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “That was just the way it was scheduled,” Monroe said. “There was nothing extra. I wasn’t the only player teams were meeting with and that’s just how it fell in place.” David Falk, Monroe’s agent, regarding why his client chose the Bucks over the Knicks, told Bondy, “It wasn’t about presentation or marketing, It was about what Milwaukee already brought to the table.”

“The interest was definitely there [with the Knicks],” Monroe told the Daily News scribe. “I took an interest in everybody that was willing to meet with me. I don’t like to take anybody’s time for granted. I definitely didn’t take their time for granted. I made a decision based on the things that I was looking for and I wanted. At this point, I’d rather not [talk about it]. It doesn’t matter anymore. Any questions anybody has, I could honestly not care less. I’m happy with where I’m at. I definitely feel like I made the right decision.”

Here’s more from out of the Eastern Conference:

Ian Mahinmi, entering the final season of his contract and with the Pacers starting center job now his, worked tirelessly over the summer on his offensive game, particularly his shooting touch, as Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star examines.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens has been the exception to the rule for college coaches coming to the NBA, as most of them have struggled, so Billy Donovan of the Thunder and Fred Hoiberg of the Bulls face a challenge to defy history, as Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune examines.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is the second longest tenured coach in the NBA behind Gregg Popovich, yet he enters this season needing to prove himself all over again now that the team has overhauled its roster and is in need of a new identity, Ethan J. Skolnick of The Miami Herald writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Lopez, Pistons, Bulls, Petteway

October 28th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks coach Jason Kidd confirmed reports that the team had interest in Robin Lopez and Brook Lopez in free agency this summer, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Neither ended up in Milwaukee, with Robin going to the Knicks and Brook re-signing with the Nets, though the Bucks did well enough, landing Greg Monroe.

“We liked both of those guys,’’ Kidd said. “They both do something and they’re very productive. I think both teams got maybe the guy they wanted. Looking at the Lopezes, I’ve coached one of them and recruited another. They’ve always played the game the right way. The Knicks ended up with [Robin] Lopez, which is a good pickup for them.”

See more from the Central Division:

The Pistons have no shortage of players with contractual motivation to prove their worth this season, making “the disease of more” and the potential for selfishness a concern in Detroit, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details.
Other Eastern Conference teams improved their rosters in the offseason, but short of adding Bobby Portis and Cristiano Felicio, the Bulls stood pat, making it fair to wonder about Chicago’s apparent determination that the most pressing need for change was at head coach, opines David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
The contract that Terran Petteway was briefly on with the Pacers was non-guaranteed for the minimum salary and covered one season, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Indiana absorbed a small cap hit for signing him after Saturday’s deadline to remove non-guaranteed salary without it counting against the cap. The Pacers inked Petteway on Sunday and waived him on Monday to secure his D-League rights.

Northwest Notes: Stotts, Monroe, Waiters, Mitchell

October 16th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The future of Terry Stotts is unresolved beyond this season, as the Trail Blazers have yet to pick up the team option on his deal for 2016/17, but Blazers players, including Damian Lillard, are fully supportive of the coach, as The Oregonian’s Jason Quick details.

“As long as I am here,” Lillard said, “I would like him to be here.”

Lillard signed a five-year extension this summer that will run through 2020/21, and the Blazers are making him the centerpiece of their retool, but time will tell if Portland retains Stotts as one of its building blocks. See more on the Blazers amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:

Greg Monroe narrowed his choices to the Bucks and Trail Blazers before selecting Milwaukee in free agency this summer, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports, who recounts Monroe’s decision making that led up to his three-year max deal with the Bucks. That means he first eliminated the Knicks and Lakers, who, as Lee notes, also met with him.
The Thunder aren’t worried about making too many commitments to middling talents that would be tough to build around if Kevin Durant bolts next summer, and instead they’re focused on building a stable supporting cast around Durant for the long term, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com. That, plus Oklahoma City’s penchant for rewarding players who want to stick around, helps explain the team’s reported willingness to explore an extension for Dion Waiters, as Young examines.
Sam Mitchell didn’t feel a burning desire to coach again when Flip Saunders called to offer him a job with the Timberwolves last year, Mitchell tells Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Saunders nonetheless made a convincing case, and Mitchell joined as an assistant, which led to his promotion to interim head coach when cancer treatment forced Saunders to take a leave of absence. “He thought I did a good job in the media — I thought I did an excellent job — but he said to me ‘you’re always going to be a basketball coach,’” Mitchell said of his conversation with Saunders.

Eastern Notes: Monroe, Robinson, Harrellson

October 14th, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Co-owner Marc Lasry’s confident demeanor and relationship with Jason Kidd sold Greg Monroe and agent David Falk on the Bucks, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com details. Lasry had never pitched a free agent before, but he led Milwaukee’s presentation, assuring Monroe that Kidd would be the team’s coach for the long-term, which helped sway the big man after years of coaching turnover in Detroit, Windhorst writes.

“He was very down to earth, but also passionate, and he connected with Greg,” Falk said of Lasry. “We didn’t need parades or balloons; this was a business decision. Marc treated it that way. What they had already put in place was strong, and he sold that.”

Monroe, who signed with Milwaukee for three years at the max, called his meeting with the Bucks “something I will never forget.” See more from the Eastern Conference:

Thomas Robinson said the Nets showed “heavy interest” in him before the 2012 draft, when he went fifth overall, and the longstanding connection made it an easy choice for him to sign with Brooklyn this summer, as he told Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. “I’m glad I’m here a few years down the road, after the stuff I’ve been through. I’m more mature now than I was when I probably wanted to come here,” Robinson said in part. “[I want to] take advantage of all of my opportunities. I feel like I’m right back where I was getting drafted again … now it’s just time.”
The Wizards signed Josh Harrellson because they like his shooting and wanted someone who would help them work on their new, more perimeter-oriented offense in practice, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Harrellson’s contract is non-guaranteed and the Wizards have 15 full guarantees. He’s taking a realistic approach, treating the preseason as a showcase for the 29 other teams while hoping to make a strong impression on the Wizards for another chance in the future, as Castillo explains.
The Sixers should let go of Furkan Aldemir, who’s ceiling is already apparent, and instead keep undrafted rookie Christian Wood for the regular season because of Wood’s superior upside, opines Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Such a move would entail a financial sacrifice, since Aldemir has a fully guaranteed salary of nearly $2.837MM while Wood is only assured of $50K, as Moore points out. Aldemir also shares agent Misko Raznatovic with Dario Saric, Moore concedes (on Twitter).