The Detroit Pistons have Greg Monroe and Josh Smith as trade targets for teams this season at the NBA trading deadline and both players could garner attention from teams like the Chicago Bulls, NY Knicks or Celtics, but if Smith is moved to the Sacramento Kings, the Pistons likely will keep Monroe and try and sign him as a free agent next summer.
Monroe signed the one-year qualifying offer with the Pistons over a long term contract and that means he has control of getting traded or not this season. The Pistons have been pretty terrible this season and that could prompt Monroe to allow a trade to go down if something comes up at the deadline. According to ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein, teams will be interested in Monroe even if the Pistons say they aren't trading him, as many execs think that Monroe will be leaving as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Monroe was a restricted free agent and now he has the chance to sign a big deal after essentially betting on himself this year on a one year deal. Monroe said that he will consider signing back with the Pistons, but with the way this season has started, it looks like a long shot. This summer the Kings and Pistons engaged in talks about Smith, as Sacramento was looking for a compliment up front with DeMarcus Cousins, but a deal did not get done.
Monroe will be a major free agent target no matter what happens this season, as he is a very young player and he also has been healthy throughout his three plus years in the league. This season he is in line with his career averages at 13 points and nine rebounds and he should only get better as the years go on. The Knicks, Lakers and Celtics all will have money to spend next summer and if Marc Gasol stays in Memphis, those teams could turn to Monroe as an option.
Earlier in the summer reports came out that Monroe and his representatives wanted Smith traded before he signed a long term deal in Detroit and that could be one reason why he did not sign this summer. Monroe signed a one year deal instead and while he later came out to say that those reports were not true, it's likely that Monroe hoped the Pistons pulled the trigger on a deal. Last season Monroe, Josh Smith and Andre Drummond had issues with spacing and minutes because all three play in the same area and that is something the Pistons will have to look at moving forward.
Drummond is in for the long haul no matter what after signing his extension and now that Stan Van Gundy is in charge, he likely wants to keep things going with young stars like Drummond and Monroe. Those two would be better to build around than Smith, but the contract for Smith makes him hard to move and that is what held up the Kings deal. Monroe has been on and off the bench this season for the Pistons and they have gotten off to a bad start with just three wins on the season through the first 18 games.
