Greg Monroe did something incredibly unusual; he left an eight-figure a year extension to his rookie contract on the table so he could play for a few million this year. All so he could be an unrestricted free agent this summer and get out of Detroit.
Except, he might not.
The dynamics have changed since the Pistons waived Josh Smith. Monroe’s agent, David Falk, told the Detroit Free Press it is possible Monroe will stay on with the Pistons.Greg Monroe’s agent said Saturday night that the pending unrestricted free agent is “absolutely” open to re-signing with the Detroit Pistons...
“He’s going to get the same money wherever he goes,” Monroe said to two reporters courtside at the Verizon Center. “I told him that two years ago. All stars get the same amount. It just depends on what the intangibles are.
“Where do you want to move? Who do you want to play with? Who do you want to play with? Is there a coach you want to play for? Do you want to be the star on a rebuilding team or do you want to be a complementary player on a championship team? Those are all intangibles.”
And, does he like what is being built in Detroit under Stan Van Gundy?
Monroe has been pretty consistent all year for the up-and-down Pistons, but he’s getting more minutes — and with that putting up more numbers — of late. In his last five games Monroe is playing 37 minutes a night, scoring 19.2 and pulling down 11.6 rebounds a game.
He’s going to get max contract offers this summer — big men get paid in the NBA. He’s showing he’s almost a 20 and 10 guy, he can play on the elbow or in the block, and his defense is solid. You can bet the Lakers, Knicks and a bunch of other teams come calling on July 1.
The question becomes, is Stan Van Gundy winning over Monroe right now?