Philadelphia 76ers: Making the case for/against re-signing each free agent
Greg Monroe
What the heck happened to him? In July 2015, his signing with the Milwaukee Bucks was hailed as a major coup and Giannis Antetokounmpo was going to be a supporting player to their true star — Monroe.
Since February 2018, he has been waived, not had his contract picked up or let this contract expire by five teams (Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, Brooklyn and Philadelphia). This guy used to be good.
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After some decent playoff games, which were followed by some bad ones that put him on the bench, Brett Brown gambled that in Game 7 he could put Monroe in for two minutes, 49 seconds and give Embiid a quick blow.
Brown was, fatally, wrong. The Raptors outscored the Sixers by 12 points in the 2:49 that Monroe played. Yes, the end of game offense was awful and Kawhi Leonard hit a miracle shot but if Monroe had done something, anything they could have won that game.
Do the Sixers want him?
Hard to imagine they would. He was signed as veteran insurance with Embiid having knee problems at the end of the season but the policy did not cash. It is hard to believe Monroe was only 28 years old. Vince Carter is in his 40s and played more spry.
Would other NBA teams have any interest and how much would Sixers pay to keep him?
Some team will take a (non-guaranteed) shot on Monroe next season because, like most people, they can not believe his game has deteriorated so quickly. He had his moments with the Sixers but when he was off, he was off a cliff.
Final Answer: If the Sixers brought back Monroe, they would truly have to be in salary cap hell. Really, what happened to him?