Rumors had been swirling lately that center Greg Monroe could be set to play a bench role with the Milwaukee Bucks next season before he is eventually traded on or before the February deadline next year.
The 26-year-old six-year pro was acquired by the Bucks through free-agency last summer hoping that he will provide the solution to the team's long-time problems at the number five position. He chose to sign with Milwaukee to a three-year, $50 million contract, snubbing larger offers from big market teams New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers which many thought would turn into a happy ending.
However, the result was not what the team had expected as the former Georgetown standout proved to be incompatible to the rest of head coach Jason Kidd's starters, which include young guns Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, Michael Carter-Williams, and Khris Middleton.
On offense, Monroe could not stay at par with the run-and-gun type of basketball his younger teammates are more effective with as he likes to play with his back to the basket and get the ball in the post. His inaptness was more evident, though, on the defensive end where he was seen by opposing offenses as the weakest link in the chain.
Monroe produced his usual decent numbers last season, 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, but the Bucks went from a playoff team to getting eliminated in the postseason when he arrived.
Fansided predicted that Monroe will be relegated to the bench this upcoming season in order to give way to team's younger players and the way they want to play the game. Miles Plumlee is expected to take his place in the starting lineup.
With Monroe competing against their opponents' second units, he will dominate more on offense as he can have the ball a lot more times than with the starters and will no longer be a target on defense.
Meanwhile, Chat Sports Net indicated that Monroe could eventually be traded to the Golden State Warriors on or before next season's trade deadline depending on the result of the Bucks' experiment to put him on the bench.
The report said that "Monroe's potential can only be realized if he plays for a contender" and the Warriors are in need of a quality big body at the moment. It also said that Golden State's current arch-rival, the reigning champs Cleveland Cavaliers, may also be after the 6-foot-11 big man next season.