NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls May Have Interest In A Trade For Greg Monroe
Is Greg Monroe coming to the Chicago Bulls in a trade? According to one of the NBA rumors circulating, Monroe to the Bulls is a possibility. But how likely is it that the Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks are discussing a Greg Monroe trade?
According to Yibada, the Bulls are currently looking for a forward to replace Pau Gasol, who left in free agency for the San Antonio Spurs. It is sensible for the Bulls to be interested in Greg Monroe.
The Bulls could use a young power forward to group with Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, and Robin Lopez. One prerequisite is that the power forward must be able to stretch the floor. Otherwise, a Bulls team that is already missing a shooter will have five players in the starting lineup with questionable long-distance shooting ability.
No one will confuse Monroe for a deadly shooter from behind the three-point line, but he has a consistent jump shot at 17 feet.
What the Bulls need is a stretch-forward with spot-up shooting skills. Preferably from deep, but a solid 17 foot jumper is good enough. Looking at the Bulls in the past three seasons, they did not have a lot of three-point shooters on hand.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr. was in the Bulls’ starting lineup as the designated shooter. Beyond him, it was several Bulls players taking turns hoping that a three-pointer goes in.
As of now, forward Nikola Mirotic has a three-point shot in his arsenal. He can be streaky at times. Plus, his actual position is undefined. Mirotic is too slow to play small forward, yet not physical enough to be a power forward. The potential is there for Mirotic to be really good. If a trade between the Bulls and Bucks did take place, it would reveal how the Bulls view him.
Because the Bulls do not have many players they can include in a deal with the Bucks for Greg Monroe, they would have to be creative. Adding draft picks to the trade offer, along with a player, would be the Bulls best bet.
Another option the Bulls have would be to offer Taj Gibson, Tony Snell, and a draft pick for Greg Monroe.
The Bucks want to trade Greg Monroe in order to save money. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Bucks have entertained offers for Monroe since February, prior to the trade deadline. The Bucks revisited those talks during the start of the summer.
Two of the teams rumored to be in the mix for Greg Monroe are the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks.
NOLA.com confirmed that the Bucks and Pelicans had exploratory talks regarding a trade for Monroe. The Pelicans were intrigued by the possibility of bringing the New Orleans-native in the fold.
The Knicks have had interest since the 2015 NBA offseason. They were one of the teams who had a meeting with Monroe when he was testing the free agency market.
The Pelicans and Knicks may not be out of the mix for Monroe. Are the Bulls in on him?
While it is true that the Bulls need a power forward, especially one who can stretch the floor and rebound, but Monroe may not be on their radar.
Monroe is a good fit for the Bulls. And he would not be much of a risk for them. As previously stated, if the Bulls were to acquire him in a trade with the Bucks, it would reveal their opinions of Nikola Mirotic. From what we know, the Bulls are enamored with him.
The Bulls would create a problem with minutes distribution if they added Monroe. The Bulls would also be sending out precious assets that could help them with a bigger trade later on down the road. If the Bulls want to be in on a player like DeMarcus Cousins, they have to not go after Greg Monroe.
Greg Monroe to the Chicago Bulls is a small possibility, that right now makes only a little bit of sense. Something to consider is that the Bulls want a super-team. Does trading for the Bucks’ Greg Monroe make the Bulls a super-team?
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