Report: Knicks' Pursuit Of Greg Monroe 'About As Close To A Done Deal As You Can Get'
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
It's no secret that Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe wants out of Detroit. He made that clear in the fall when he signed a one-year, $5.5 million qualifying offer to stay with the team for another season, just so long as it made him and unrestricted free agent in 2015.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks will make a hard push to bring Monroe to the Big Apple this summer when free agency begins.
"Maybe the worst kept secret in the NBA is that Phil Jackson plans to pursue Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe in free agency this summer. In fact, one league executive called it 'about as close to a done deal as you can get.'
A done deal is illegal of course and would open Jackson and the Knicks to tampering charges. A more likely scenario is that representatives from both parties have made their interest known and will proceed accordingly once the free-agent recruiting period begins on July 1st. It happens all the time."
The Knicks will have plenty of money to spend during the offseason with only six players under contract for next season amounting to just over $30 million, according to Basketball Reference.
The Pistons are 7-6 without Monroe in the lineup this season. With Stan Van Gundy's "one-in, four-out" offensive system, it's hard to believe that the organization would fork up the money -- most likely a maximum contract -- to keep Monroe (not exactly a stretch four) in town while Andre Drummond is manning the middle.
The Pistons also have to address the pending restricted free agency of Reggie Jackson and the possibility of extending Drummond's contract before his rookie deal expires at the end of next season.
