The Toronto Raptors are reportedly interested in big man Greg Monroe for the team’s 14th roster spot, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN:
With 13 players on guaranteed or partially-guaranteed deals, the Raptors are looking to fill that 14th spot with another big and have shown interest in a number of available players, including former Pistons centre , according to league sources. Monroe, one of the biggest names left on the market, wouldn’t address their most pressing frontcourt need – rim protection – but could give Toronto another experienced and gifted scorer, and some more depth, off the bench. They can use the smaller mid-level exception of up to $5.3 million to sign another player, if they choose, although they’re already projected to pay a sizeable luxury tax bix, and may decide to fill out the roster with more cost efficient options.
Monroe has bounced around the NBA quite a bit over the last year, spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks, who then traded him to the Phoenix Suns for disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe before he signed with the Boston Celtics after he reached a buyout with the Suns.
Monroe, now 28, has an old-school style of play that’s hard to incorporate in an NBA that’s moving away from post-ups and burly centers that clog up the middle, instead opting for floor-spacing and rim-running bigs who can protect the paint. Monroe provides neither shooting nor extreme athleticism but instead is a post specialist while also being a very solid rebounder and playmaker for his size.
Monroe may no longer be a starting-caliber center, even in the prime of his career, as his skillset is becoming a dying art in the NBA, but the Georgetown product could provide key depth behind Jonas Valanciunas, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakim in Toronto, if that’s the route Masai Ujiri and the Raptors organization decide on.
