The Detroit Pistons are coming into the season with high expectations after pulling off the Brandon Jennings trade and signing Josh Smith as a free agent and now attention has been put on Greg Monroe, as the young star has a deadline to sign an extension and it is looking increasingly likely that it will not happen.
Monroe is one of the top young players for the Pistons and the team has until the end of October to sign him to an extension, but according to Pro Basketball Talk, chances are he will be a restricted free agent next summer. The report says that the team "most likely" will not be offering a contract extension and since there is just two weeks to go until the deadline, it likely won't be going down before the season starts.
The tough thing for the Pistons is the money they now have tied up in players, as Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings are getting paid a pretty penny and the team also had Andre Drummond to deal with and that may leave the Pistons in a tough spot. Pro Basketball Talk speculates that the team could try to trade him and while that likely will not happen anytime soon, come the trade deadline, which could change. Last season Monroe had a solid season with 16 points and 9.6 rebounds per game and he has developed into one of the better young players in the game.
Drummond may get a priority over Monroe when it comes to an extension and with teams now allowed to sign only one player to a five-year extension and the team may be waiting on Drummond. The 23-year-old is now likely set to be a restricted free agent and after being the number seven pick out of Georgetown, he likely will be a hot commodity in the summer and he is getting paid $4.1 million this season after signing a four year deal. Monroe comes in with career averages of 13.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists over three seasons.
The Chicago Bulls could be a possibility down the line and the team may also take a look at one of their old players, as Omer Asik could end up on the trading block for the Rockets. The team is planning on keeping him, but if Houston gets off to a rough start this year, things could change down the line for the team.
