Greg Monroe (Photo : Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks have been trying to trade Greg Monroe for quite some time but they have yet to find any takers.
In the aftermath of free agency, the market has been depleted of buyers as teams like the LA Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers have settled their center needs.
What confounds the Bucks' woes is that the Philadelphia 76ers are also shopping Jahlil Okafor whom many would note is a "younger, cheaper version of Monroe."
The Charlotte Hornets have lost the "older version" of Greg Monroe in Al Jefferson, an old-school low post scorer with bad defense. The Hornets may be the final choice for Monroe as they only got Roy Hibbert to replace Big Al.
Hibbert has been disappointing in his season with the LA Lakers, as the team eventually saw Timofey Mozgov as a major upgrade. Hoops Habit believes that the Hornets can still benefit from trading for Monroe. Adam McGee of HH said that the team "makes more sense than any other team."
Coach Steve Clifford has shown that he can mesh a quick, high scoring backcourt with a low post scorer, even one with Big Al's limitations. Jefferson has since moved on to the Indiana Pacers to fill their own void and he will work with an "old school" coach in Nate McMillan.
Greg Monroe is still younger than Jefferson and despite having a reputation of being slow-footed, he is still better than Hibbert.
A trade proposal even before draft night from Dan Favale of Bleacher Report is surprisingly similar to what Hoops Habit proposed. The trade pieces involved are Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lamb.
"Milwaukee, as currently constructed, doesn't have a ton of frontcourt spacing. Hawes is shooting better than 35 percent from deep for his career and drilled more than 37 percent of his triples in Charlotte," Favale wrote.
McGee, on his part noted that Clifford already made low-post scoring part of his staple plays and Monroe could provide that. The current frontline of Hibbert and Cody Zeller would not be able to deliver what Monroe can.
With a dearth of trade options, the Bucks should consider this trade if they really want to move Monroe.
