Phoenix Suns NBA Trade and Roster Rumors: Suns Looking to Move Newly Acquired Center Greg Monroe
Center Greg Monroe may never suit up for the Phoenix Suns after they acquired him from the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eric Bledsoe trade.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns have already made it quite clear that Monroe's not going to be part of the roster moving forward, but they want to try trading him first before they resort to buying out his contract.
"The Phoenix Suns prefer to explore the trade market on the expiring contract of Greg Monroe before proceeding on contract-buyout talks, league sources told ESPN," Wojnarowski said in his report.
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"Monroe, 27, doesn't fit into the Suns' long-term rebuilding plans, and he likely would prefer to join a contending team as a free agent to increase his value on his way into the summer marketplace. Talks could eventually come on a contract buyout, and it's unlikely that he would remain in Phoenix beyond the February trading deadline — leaving either by buyout or trade," he added.
Well, that makes perfect sense. The Suns already have Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Alex Len, Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley playing the frontcourt positions, and adding Monroe to the mix will create an even worse logjam. They are currently rebuilding as well and they will want to give younger players like Chriss, Bender and Len more minutes.
Monroe's $17.8 million contract is set to expire at the end of the season, so he will likely draw some interest from teams who are looking to free up some salary cap space for the 2018 offseason. Who knows, maybe they can get a draft pick in return for the center.
Of course, the Suns can also free up a roster spot if they decide to buyout Monroe's contract, and as Wojnarowski has pointed out, this will give them a chance to pursue Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor.
