The Detroit Pistons traded for Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova this offseason, and front office boss Stan Van Gundy is "not entirely optimistic" about bringing Greg Monroe back next year.
Monroe averaged a double-double last season (15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds), but made for an awkward fit at times alongside center Andre Drummond. Monroe is limited defensively and older than Drummond; he also hurts the Pistons when opponents go small, because he's not particularly adept at protecting the rim or guarding pick-and-rolls.
Monroe is one of the premier low-post scorers in the NBA however, and he might change plans for teams atop the draft that are looking at Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor. Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay, who played in China last year, and perimeter-oriented forward Kristaps Porzingis are gaining momentum as the draft approaches, and teams may go that route and sign Monroe as a free agent.
Monroe could command a max contract, but the max contracts this year come with a caveat; the salary cap is expected to jump thanks to a new television deal and those "max deals" will be far easier for teams to swallow.
Russell in particular has been generating major buzz throughout the draft process, and the Lakers in particular might have reservations about pairing Okafor with last year's No. 1 pick Julius Randle in the post. Okafor is the most advanced offensive prospect in this draft, but his defense has been picked apart by scouts. Randle was compared to Zach Randolph when he was drafted, so the Lakers would have a promising pairing on offense down low, but they could become a defensive sieve.
Russell has prototypical size to be a modern point guard (6'5), and carried the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament with 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists per game.
[ESPN]
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