The Detroit Pistons have Greg Monroe as their top free agent hitting the market this summer and teams like the NY Knicks, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Houston Rockets could be interested in signing the forward and this comes as Stan Van Gundy could consider a trade with Brandon Jennings this offseason if the team signs back Reggie Jackson.
The Pistons already pulled off a trade with the Bucks this offseason to get Ersan Ilyasova and now the team could continue being active in free agency. Monroe is expected to be a top target for teams, but the Pistons also remain in the mix to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Earlier in the season Monroe said that he would consider staying with the Pistons and he reiterated that this offseason and it comes as they can offer him more money than any other team.
Last year Monroe was a restricted free agent and essentially bet on himself this season by taking a one year contract over signing an extension. Monroe felt he could get more money on the open market and as a result he had a career year and likely will get more money than he would have on an extension. According to the Racine Journal Times, the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics are the favorites to sign Monroe and there is "strong speculation" that Monroe will leave Detroit for one of those teams.
The Pistons picked up Jackson last year at the trade deadline and reports have the team looking to re-sign him. According to the Detroit Free Press, the team is interested in keeping Jackson and if that happens, expect Van Gundy to shop Brandon Jennings in trades. Jackson rejected an extension from the Thunder last year at four years and $48 million and that is likely around where he will be looking to sign moving forward for Detroit.
Jennings was injured last season and played in 41 games and now he could be a target for teams on the market if he shows he can be healthy after dealing with an Achilles injury. Monroe is a top target after averaging a career best 15 points and 10 rebounds per game last season.
Earlier in the season the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons talked about a potential trade with Monroe and Roy Hibbert, but that never came close to happening. The Pacers could be active this offseason with Paul George ready to play a full year this season and they could be an option for Monroe as well. Monroe was a restricted free agent last offseason and he opted to sign the one year deal over an extension with Detroit.
Most teams stayed away from Monroe because they expected the Pistons to match any offer sheets, but now Monroe is unrestricted and can sign with anyone. The Pacers may shop Hibbert again and if that happens, teams that miss out on Monroe could go after him as an option. The Pistons got rid of Josh Smith this season even though they have to pay him and now Monroe comes in as one of the top players overall on the market. Hibbert was shopped after he had a bad postseason and put up some zero-zero performances on the stat sheet when the Pacers were last in the playoffs.
