Greg Monroe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Okafor, Atkinson, Ibaka, Porzingis

February 19th, 2017 at 2:19pm CST by Milo Taibi

Knicks legend Willis Reed had an interesting take on the team’s leadership woes. The Hall of Famer suggested Phil Jackson take the helm as head coach, replacing Jeff Hornacek.

“Unfortunately for us as Knicks fans, if Phil Jackson had been coaching all year, we would’ve won more games,’’ Reed told Marc Berman of The New York Post. “His toughness and ability to make guys concentrate, that’s what I loved about him as a coach. He got guys to play harder and smarter…He’s got a history with Kobe, Jordan and Shaquille and made them champions.”

Reed was critical of Jackson’s inability to find a suitable head coach during his run as Knicks president, citing Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, and Hornacek as disappointments. Jackson’s most recent season as a head coach came with the Lakers in 2010/11, in which L.A. finished with a 57-25 record.

Woj: Butler Trade To The Celtics Still Possible

February 18th, 2017 at 10:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

A potential trade sending Jimmy Butler from the Bulls to the Celtics will loom over deadline week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link).

In a video interview, Wojnarowski says the teams have discussed a deal involving Butler, but talks haven’t progressed very far. He adds that Chicago officials have to to fully commit to the rebuilding process before they would be willing to give up Butler.

Wojnarowski says the trade would involve one of the Nets’ first-rounders — but probably not both — that Boston owns in the next two drafts. If the Bulls get this year’s pick, Wojnarowski states they can find a replacement for Derrick Rose, who was traded to the Knicks last summer. Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball are point guards mentioned as likely choices at the top of the draft.

Teaming Butler with Isaiah Thomas and Al Horford would give the Celtics enough firepower to challenge Cleveland for supremacy in the East, Wojnarowski states, not just this season but for years to come.

Other highlights from the interview:

The Clippers and Thunder are both potential landing spots for Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler. However, both teams are low on draft picks and may not have the assets that Denver would want in return.
The Thunder were trying to acquire Kings forward Rudy Gay before a season-ending Achilles injury.
The Wizards would like to add another wing player to their bench, with the Lakers‘ Lou Williams and the Nets‘ Bojan Bogdanovic as possibilities. Wojnarowski says Washington is willing to part with a draft pick to get veteran help.
The Suns have been shopping P.J. Tucker, Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight, hoping to get picks or young players in return.
Chandler is one of several centers on the market, along with the Sixers‘ Jahlil Okafor, the Mavericks‘ Andrew Bogut, the Bucks‘ Greg Monroe and the Nets‘ Brook Lopez. However, there is limited interest in back-to-the basket centers. Wojnarowski speculates that one or two of them may be traded this week, but cautions that there aren’t enough buyers for all of them to be moved.
Unless something changes, Carmelo Anthony will remain with the Knicks. New York management hasn’t presented him with any deals that would tempt him to waive his no-trade clause. Most of the teams that were interested in dealing for Anthony are now “looking in other directions,” but Wojnarowski thinks the Clippers might revisit their attempt to land Anthony this summer.

What’s The Next Move For The Bucks?

February 3rd, 2017 at 11:35pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Bucks dealt Miles Plumlee to Charlotte this week, getting out from under Plumlee’s $50MM contract while acquiring inexpensive big men Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert. Milwaukee GM John Hammond was widely lauded for the move, creating additional payroll while finding a willing trade partner for Plumlee, who had been relegated to 9.7 MPG through 32 games this season.

With the newfound future cap space, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical suggests Milwaukee may pursue a new deal for Tony Snell, who has averaged 8.1 points on 45.8% shooting in Khris Middleton‘s absence. A restricted free agent after 2016/17, Snell would command a significantly higher salary than the $2,368,327 he earned this season.

In the meantime, however, the Bucks have some roster configuring to do following this week’s trade. As Kevin Pelton pointed out for ESPN, Milwaukee’s depth chart at the five is suddenly loaded, with Hawes, Hibbert, John Henson, Greg Monroe, and Thon Maker all vying for court time.

At first glance, Hibbert appears the most likely to be traded or bought out by the trade deadline. The 30-year-old isn’t on the books for next season, and – if it’s any indication of his role on the team – has already been ruled a healthy inactive for Milwaukee’s game against Phoenix on Saturday. The Bucks have been linked to Hawes in the past, and the 28-year-old has a $6,021,175 player option for next season; a reasonable salary for a competent backup center, though there’s a good chance he’ll opt out.

If Monroe or Henson yield a more significant return on the trade market than the team’s newly-acquired veterans, it may not be a bad idea to trade one of them for a combo guard. As of right now, the Bucks are relying on a combination of Matthew Dellavedova, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jason Terry behind Giannis Antetokounmpo. Monroe has been subject to trade rumors throughout his two-year run in Milwaukee; last month, Monroe claimed to be undecided regarding his $17.8MM player option following the 2016/17 season.

The Bucks have already waived Steve Novak to accommodate Thursday’s trade, creating a center-heavy roster during a vital stretch of their playoff pursuit. In a league over-saturated with centers, Hammond’s challenge may involve finding a new home for one his five big men.

What do you think? Are the Bucks done dealing for now, or will they continue to be active before the trade deadline?

Eastern Notes: Dunleavy Jr., Cavs, Monroe, Noel

January 12th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mike Dunleavy Jr. labelled reports that indicated he wanted a buyout from the Hawks “pretty inaccurate” and believes he’ll fit right in with the team, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports. The Hawks were hoping to find another team for the 36-year-old swingman when he was included in the deal that delivered sharpshooter Kyle Korver to the Cavaliers, Vivlamore continues. Dunleavy has since received assurances from coach Mike Budenholzer that he’ll get some playing time, though he will not immediately become part of the rotation. “I fit in as far as the way I play,” Dunleavy told Vivlamore. “I move, cut, shoot, pass. That’s the way this team is structured. It’s not a matter of what are you going to do for me or how am I going to fit in. It didn’t take much explaining.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

In the aftermath of the Korver trader, the $9.6MM trade exception that the Cavaliers gained in the trade that sent Anderson Varejao to the Trail Blazers last February has been reduced to $4.4MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets. That exception will expire on February 20, Wojnarowski continues. The Cavs created two more exceptions worth $4.8MM and $2.2MM in the deal that also shipped Mo Williams and a protected 2019 first-round pick to Atlanta. Those exceptions will expire on February 7, 2018, Wojnarowski adds.
Bucks center Greg Monroe is a long way from deciding whether to exercise the player option on his contract, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Monroe has a $17.8MM option this summer in the final year of his three-year, $50MM deal. “I’m not thinking about anything like the off-season right now,” he told Gardner. “There is a time and place for everything. If and when I have to make a decision, that time is not right now.” Monroe, the subject of heavy trade speculation during the offseason, has boosted his stock with his play this season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists as the leader of the second unit.
Sixers big man Nerlens Noel, whose playing time has spiked this month, calls this group the “closest team I’ve been on” in his short NBA career, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly tweets. Noel, a prime trade candidate as our Luke Adams detailed last month, is averaging 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes over the last three games. His comment suggests he might be softening his tone about his role with the club.

Greg Monroe Remains On Trade Block

December 26th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are still looking to trade Greg Monroe, a league executive tells Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. Monroe, whose name surfaced in trade rumors at last season’s deadline, has been considered a candidate to be moved for most of 2016.

Heading into the summer of 2015, Monroe was viewed as one of the top big men on the market, and the Bucks beat out multiple suitors, including the Knicks, to land him. However, the 26-year-old hasn’t been an ideal fit in Jason Kidd‘s system in Milwaukee.

After starting 67 contests and averaging 29.3 MPG a year ago, Monroe has come off the bench this year, with his minutes dipping to just 19.3 per game. His per-minute stats suggest he has been as productive as ever, but due to his limited playing time, his marks of 9.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG are the lowest of his career.

While Monroe isn’t exactly thriving with the Bucks, and didn’t generate the sort of trade interest the team anticipated over the summer, there’s still reason to believe he could have some appeal to potential suitors at this February’s deadline. He’s a strong low-post scorer, and the Bucks have been significantly better with him on the court so far this season — the team has a +10.3 net rating when he plays, and a -1.8 rating when he doesn’t.

Still, Monroe’s player option for 2017/18 could be problematic. Any potential trade partner for the Bucks would likely want to get a sense of whether or not the big man plans to exercise that option – worth nearly $18MM – before making a deal. Some suitors may not want to give up much for a rental, while others may not want to be saddled with that salary on their ’17/18 cap.

The Pelicans are one team that has been frequently linked to Monroe in recent months.

Stein/Lowe On Cousins, George, Noel, Monroe

November 24th, 2016 at 5:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In a Wednesday edition of The Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Zach Lowe discussed several teams who could make a trade at some point this season, and several players who are candidates to be moved. Both ESPN reporters agreed that the Trail Blazers are one of the most likely clubs to complete a deal within the next three months, with Lowe suggesting he’d be “blown away” if Portland doesn’t make at least one trade. Stein also identified the Kings, Suns, Nuggets, and Celtics as clubs to watch for potential deals.

Here are several more highlights from the discussion:

“I’ve had a couple guys from other teams tell me they’re hearing that the Kings are starting to get sick of [DeMarcus] Cousins, whatever that means,” Lowe said at one point. Lowe added that there are so many voices involved in the Kings’ decision-making process – in ownership and the front office – that it’s hard to know exactly what the team is thinking. Some decision-makers may want to move Cousins, while others would rather keep him.
During the conversation about Cousins, Stein said that the latest word out of Sacramento still suggests the Kings don’t want to move their star big man, though teams around the NBA think the Kings will – or should – make a move by the deadline to maximize Cousins’ value. In Lowe’s view, at least one or two suitors would be willing to give up “a lot” for Cousins, despite the posturing going on at this point to downplay his value.
Both Stein and Lowe are frequently asked whether Paul George might become available, and Stein points out that if teams are asking reporters about it, they’re probably asking the Pacers as well. George is extension-eligible and Indiana has expressed interest in locking him up to a max deal, but nothing has happened so far, so teams may sense an opening. However, Lowe hears that most people expect Pacers president Larry Bird to “take it to the end” with George, and to avoid trading him at all costs.
Lowe confirms a couple trade rumors that have been reported in the past, noting that the Raptors and Sixers discussed a possible deal that would have sent Nerlens Noel to Toronto for Terrence Ross and at least one other piece. The Pelicans have also had “semi-serious talks” with the Bucks about Greg Monroe over the course of the last six to 12 months. Nothing is imminent on either front though, and Lowe isn’t sure exactly what New Orleans would give up for Monroe.
Stein and Lowe both agree that Monroe’s trade value is very low, with Stein observing that there’s more supply than demand for big men on the trade market right now. Lowe also wonders how Monroe will handle his 2017/18 player option (worth nearly $18MM) if the Bucks keep him and continue to bury him in the rotation, crushing his value — he could exercise it out of spite, or opt out if he badly wants to find a better situation.
According to Lowe, the Mavericks were among the teams hoping Dennis Schroder would reach free agency in 2017, but his new extension with the Hawks took that possibility off the table.

Central Notes: Hoiberg, Jackson, Monroe

November 22nd, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg believes it’s a different era now than when he played in the NBA in regard to how players communicate in the offseason, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Hoiberg notices that players are forming relationships with each other at the AAU level and its impacting free agency.

“Really since, shoot, going all the way back to eighth or ninth grade the way it is now,” Hoiberg said “Then just the relationships they build over the summers. These guys all seem to get together in L.A. or Miami or wherever it might be. So they build those relationships, they play together with Team USA now and they do build those special bonds. So yeah, it probably is a little easier to reach out. You see some of the superteams now that are being created, and I think a lot of that has to do with relationships that are built over the summer.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Reggie Jackson said he feels “real good” and hopes to be back on the court soon, James Hawkins of The Detroit News relays. “I feel a lot better. Getting stronger, getting more timing, getting my cardio up,” Jackson said. “Trying to get more implemented into practice and just trying to do whatever I can within the limits of protocol.”
Stan Van Gundy isn’t happy with the team’s performance lately, but he doesn’t want to mess with the rotation too much before Jackson returns, Hawkins passes along in the same piece. “I don’t really think we know who we are. I was talking to [owner] Tom [Gores] last night and it’s a lot farther into the season you would like,” Van Gundy said. “We’ll be 30, 35 games into the year before we really can make any real estimations of the team, because you figure it will have to get to that before Reggie has a dozen, 15 games back. It’s going to be a long time in where we’re going to have to do it with our defense and continue to try and get better. But to really firm up rotations and all of that is going to take some time.” The Pistons are 6-9 on the season.
Greg Monroe hasn’t lived up to expectations since joining the Bucks during the summer of 2015 and his role could be further marginalized going forward, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. The team has used more small-ball lineups lately, leaving Monroe on the court for only about 10 minutes over the last three games.

Central Notes: Jackson, Monroe, Miles

October 22nd, 2016 at 2:58pm CST by Eddie Scarito

When the Pistons inked Reggie Jackson to five-year, $80MM deal back in 2015, quite a few heads around the league turned, believing that Detroit overpaid for the guard. But with the spike in the salary cap, Jackson’s deal is viewed far more favorably, resulting in quite a few trade inquiries for the guard, Keith Langlois of NBA.com notes. “It seems like a lot of people – I don’t mean teams – but a lot of people who do the analysis of all these moves are a year behind in terms of their vision and the way they analyze moves,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “We got killed for signing Reggie for too much money and then we were hit with virtually every team in the league wanting to trade for him because he’s locked in at what now is a very, very good salary.”

“He’s a guy with a great, great contract and those guys are all looking,” Van Gundy continued. “And then people think you’ll panic a little bit when a guy has an injury. He’s a very good player on a good contract and when we signed it there were a whole lot of people criticizing it. It’s people who look at things differently and in the moment and hadn’t adjusted to what’s going on. There’s been interest in him and there’s always interest in good players. There’s interest in Andre Drummond, obviously, and interest in Reggie. People are always just seeing what you’re thinking and seeing if you’ll move on any of those guys and what it would take. And Reggie’s a guy that drew really, really good interest.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bucks are preparing for the possibility that Greg Monroe is going to exercise his player option for the 2017/18 campaign, league sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The big man has a tough call to make, with him being set to earn $17,884,176 next season, which is the final one of his current deal. With the cap set to jump to over $100MM next summer, the opportunity to chase a long-term deal may be appealing, but Monroe is also a more traditional big man in a league that is moving away from that model. A strong campaign would likely decrease the chances of him opting in, though that is merely my speculation.
C.J. Miles‘ knee injury won’t require surgery, but the Pacers aren’t sure when the swingman will be cleared to return to action, Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star notes. Miles said he felt he would need at least two full practices without any pain to feel confident about his knee for the season opener, Taylor adds. “I’m definitely not going to get in a game without a chance be in practice,” Miles said. “I wouldn’t want to even do that if I was going to be a detriment to the team. That would be selfish on my part.”
Van Gundy noted that the Pistons are hoping to sign both Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock to extensions prior to this season’s deadline, James Hawkins of The Detroit News relays. “We definitely have a desire to get something done with both of them,” Van Gundy said. “I think both agents are clear on that from our side. It’s a matter of two things — a matter of what they want to do and a matter of, obviously, money. So that’s where the negotiations are but I think both their agents are very clear that we would prefer to get something done and that we like those guys and would like to extend them.“

Suns To Seek Trade Partner For Brandon Knight?

October 6th, 2016 at 4:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

If the Suns have interest in moving point guard Brandon Knight, a strong start would help create a “palatable” market for him, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com (Links here). Knight, who has four years and approximately $57MM remaining on his contract, has become a backup behind Eric Bledsoe and shooting guard Devin Booker.

The Suns’ current blueprint has Knight, who is not a classic point guard, transitioning into a Jamal Crawford, instant-offense type of role player. That wasn’t the original plan when they gave up a protected first-round pick they possessed from the Lakers and forwarded it to the Sixers, Lowe points out. There isn’t much of a market for Knight now, but that could change if he plays well early on, due to the lack of quality wings around the league, Lowe adds. The club is not interested in moving Bledsoe, sources told Lowe.

In other tidbits offered by Lowe in his two-part article:

The next Collective Bargaining Agreement will likely tweak the Gilbert Arenas provision, so that matching teams can distribute salary more evenly across the length of certain contracts. Lowe uses the example of Heat guard Tyler Johnson, whose offer sheet from the Nets this summer jumped his salary from under $6MM during the first two years of the contact to $19.245MM in each of the final two years of the four-year offer. Under the current agreement, the team making the offer could use the average salary of the contract to count against its cap, while the matching team has to go with the actual salary figures for each season.
The Kings are actively involved in trade discussions and since Darren Collison is suspended for the first eight games, they could make a deal for a point guard during training camp, possible as part of a larger package.
The Bucks are seeking help at the wing positions and a swap with the Kings for shooting guard Ben McLemore – a projected backup with the addition of Arron Afflalo — is a possibility. Milwaukee would like to move either center Greg Monroe or point guard Michael Carter-Williams under the right circumstances, according to Lowe’s sources.

Central Notes: Lamb, Love, Marjanovic, Leuer

October 1st, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been “whispers” that the Bucks are discussing a deal that would send Greg Monroe to the Hornets in exchange for Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes, according to Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box. Milwaukee needs help on the wing with Khris Middleton likely out for the season with a ruptured left hamstring. The Bucks have reportedly been looking for a taker for Monroe all summer, and it appears Charlotte may be interested. Lamb, a 24-year-old swingman, is beginning his second season with the Hornets after averaging 8.8 points per night in 66 games as a reserve a year ago. Lamb is entering the first year of a three-year, $21MM extension he agreed to last November, and he may be expendable after Charlotte added Marco Belinelli over the summer. Woelfel lists Gary Harris, Ben McLemore, Alec Burks, Terrence Ross and Nick Young as other wings the Bucks may target.

There’s more news out of the Central Division:

Kevin Love has learned to block out the criticism and trade rumors that have followed him since he joined the Cavaliers two years ago, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. Love believes he proved his worth to the team during the championship run and he isn’t concerned with what outsiders think of his performance. He is also secure enough with his place in the organization that trade speculation doesn’t concern him. “Trade rumors, you know, I don’t know,” Love said. “You lose a couple games … No, I don’t know how to answer that. No. I’m here, man. I plan on being here a very long time.”
Boban Marjanovic may still be considered a project, but Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy believes the 7’3″ center is “unstoppable” in the low post, relays Aaron McMann of MLive. Detroit is happy with the early returns on the $21MM it gave Marjanovic over the next three seasons. The 290-pounder remains the third-string center on the Pistons’ depth chart, but it sounds like he will be given playing time. “Once he gets established in the half-court, there’s not a good way to play him,” Van Gundy said. “There’s just not. He’s so big and he’s so skilled, that it’s hard.”
Another new Piston who has impressed Van Gundy is Jon Leuer, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. And it’s not surprising, as Van Gundy has tried to acquire the 27-year-old power forward before. “Since he came into the league in Milwaukee [in 2011] and I was coaching in Orlando, there have been three or four times over the years wherever I was, where we were making efforts to try to get him,” Van Gundy said. Leuer signed a four-year, $41MM deal with Detroit in July.