Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe will be a trade target this season at the deadline since he is heading into free agency and while teams like the NY Knicks, LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers could be interested, it's unlikely a deal will go down this year and one trade that could happen is Josh Smith to the Sacramento Kings, as he was shopped to the team this summer.
The Pistons have Monroe in on a one year deal and since it's a qualifying offer that he signed, Monroe can control whether he is traded or not. That is one reason why a move likely will not happen, but Monroe could change his mind if the team is bad again this season. Monroe did not sign a one year deal because he was not happy with the direction of the franchise over the past few years and now that Stan Van Gundy is in, Monroe could consider staying.
Monroe said over the summer that he would consider staying in Detroit and that him leaving was not a foregone conclusion. The summer saw numerous reports about potential trades, as the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans all made inquiries about Monroe and his status. The Pistons would like to keep Monroe along with Andre Drummond and build around those two players into the future, but Josh Smith has complicated that a bit.
The Pistons wanted to trade Smith this summer and ESPN.com reported that the Kings were interested in making a move. Reports also had Monroe looking to leave because of the presence of Smith, as all three of the players (Monroe, Smith and Drummond) play up front and that has created a bit of a logjam. If the Pistons move Smith, it's very likely that they will hang on to Monroe and try to work out a long term deal with him. Teams like the Lakers, Knicks, Bulls and others will be interested in Monroe, as he is young and has been healthy through his early career.
Monroe is averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game this season and he comes in after having an impressive year last season with 15.2 points and nine rebounds per game. Monroe is just 24 years old and that makes him a coveted player as he heads towards free agency. Drummond is already signed and that means the Pistons will have to decide what their next moves are regarding Smith and Monroe. Smith was signed by Joe Dumars and while he is a solid offensive player, his defensive skills leave plenty to be desired. The Kings wanted to pair Smith was DeMarcus Cousins and they could look at that move again once the trade deadline gets closer.
Monroe is going to be a coveted free agent and teams like the Knicks, Celtics and Lakers will have money to spend. What happens with Monroe may depend a but on Marc Gasol, as the Knicks and Celtics are expected to chase him as well. Gasol will make big money on the market and the Grizzlies have said they will do what they can to try and keep him. Monroe said that he would be open to signing with the Pistons again, but he clearly will be hitting the market if a trade doesn't go down.
