After the Phoenix Suns finally reached the conclusion of one trade saga with Eric Bledsoe, another may just be starting with their newly acquired big man, Greg Monroe. The Suns received Monroe plus protected first and second-round draft picks from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for the explosive Bledsoe.
However, the only player Phoenix got out of that deal may not even suit up for the team. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns are hoping to either trade Greg Monroe or buyout his $17.8M 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.
A more than capable post scorer, Monroe has struggled to find a consistent home since his days of sharing the frontcourt with Andre Drummond in Detroit. Monroe has the ability to be a high volume interior scorer at either 4 or 5 position, the issue is his subpar defense, lack of a consistent jump shot, and hefty pricetag.
Similar to Bledsoe, Monroe’s age doesn’t put him on the same wavelength as the current Suns’ rebuild. Entering the early stages of his prime at 27 years old, Monroe would best fit a contending roster lacking one more quality big in their rotation.
Another option would be to buy-out his contract if all else fails. However, this could be an attractive alternative for Phoenix to open up an extra roster spot which could be useful depending on how seriously the Suns want to pursue Jahlil Okafor, a player they’ve shown interest in according to Wojnarowski:
Also, an open roster spot would give the Suns the chance to become involved in trade talks with Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor, a 21-year-old former No. 3 overall pick with whom the Suns have had interest, league sources said.
Jahlil Okafor, 21, boasts a lot of similar qualities to Monroe while also fitting the Suns’ rebuild timeline and on a friendlier contract. Okafor brings a ton of uncapped upside to the table as we saw what he can do with increased minutes just two seasons ago.
With Devin Booker still only 21 years old and rookie Josh Jackson being 20, the Suns hope to reach their peak a few years down the road, not necessarily this year or the next. Pursuing Okafor is a low-risk, high-reward option for a young, raw team like the Suns.
If they can get Okafor back to the form of his rookie year, the Suns could potentially roster a trio of legitimate building blocks to move forward with.
