Greg Monroe hasn’t quite performed like the guy the Milwaukee Bucks thought they were getting when they signed him to a three-year, $50 million max contract over the summer. But could the team be considering throwing in the towel on him after just seven months?
According to a report by Zach Lowe of ESPN on Tuesday, the New Orleans Pelicans have “gone back and forth with the Bucks” discussing a potential deal for the 25-year-old big man.
Monroe is averaging 16.7 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game for the Bucks this season. But he has killed the team’s pace and has magnified their fatal floor-spacing problem, while also dominating the ball at the expense of Milwaukee’s young(er) talent.
For the Pelicans, Lowe says that their interest stems from an affinity for surrounding Anthony Davis with a bruiser. As for their frontcourt brigade right now, Ryan Anderson plays almost entirely on the perimeter, Omer Asik has regressed into a virtually unplayable state, Alexis Ajinca is depth fodder, and Kendrick Perkins is, remindedly, 2016 Kendrick Perkins. A rebounder and low-post scorer like Monroe, especially in a New Orleans situation with more shooters, would really help the team smooth things out.
The Pelicans have some expiring contracts they could attach (Anderson, Eric Gordon, and Norris Cole to name a few) that might sweeten the pot a bit for the Bucks. If Milwaukee wants to go full fast and full young, perhaps they contemplate making such a deal. If not, Monroe should still have plenty of time to live up to that contract and find his groove in The Badger State.
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