Greg Monroe to Knicks reportedly ‘about as close to a done deal as you can get’

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

"Maybe the worst kept secret in the NBA is that Phil Jackson plans to pursue Detroit Pistons forward Greg Monroe in free agency this summer. In fact, one league executive called it “about as close to a done deal as you can get.”A done deal is illegal of course and would open Jackson and the Knicks to tampering charges. A more likely scenario is that representatives from both parties have made their interest known and will proceed accordingly once the free-agent recruiting period begins on July 1st. It happens all the time.Still, the talk among scouts and executives who attended the Portsmouth Invitational is that Monroe is Jackson’s primary free-agent target. It’s easy to connect the dots; Monroe’s agent, David Falk, is one of the few agents that Jackson has a relationship with going back more than 20 years when Falk was representing Michael Jordan. Falk is looking for a max contract for Monroe and the Knicks, coming off the worst season in franchise history, are happy to oblige."

Good for Monroe.

He had one foot out the door the moment he accepted the qualifying offer last summer. He even did so well before the deadline, showing no interest in trying to make a last-minute deal. Even Eric Bledsoe and the Suns, who were sparring through the media, eventually found common ground on a long-term contract.

But Monroe didn’t want that. He wanted freedom to choose a new team this summer.

To his credit, he kept working hard for the Pistons, and this relationship wasn’t necessarily doomed to end this way. The Pistons had an outside chance to keep Monroe with an impressive season. I doubt another year ending outside the playoffs will get that job done.

The Knicks could be a good fit for Monroe. He has the about-his-business mindset to thrive in the New York media market, and he’d fit well in the triangle offense (though good luck defending with Monroe and Melo). This isn’t the first time Monroe has been linked to the Knicks.

But “about as close to a done deal as you can get” is far from a done deal at this stage. Monroe will surely hear other pitches in July, and where the Knicks land in the draft could affect their thinking. Still, having this Knicks interest – and presumably a max-contract offer – in his back pocket is a nice position.

This would leave the Pistons with more cap room to pursue a better-fitting replacement, a stretch four to pair with Andre Drummond. They’re unlikely to land someone as talented, but fit matters.

I don’t expect it to happen – it’d be difficult to prove and potentially hypocritical – but if the Pistons pushed for tampering charges and got an extra draft pick, I wouldn’t complain. As Isola noted, though, these conversations happen all the time. And before you get your hopes up, that pick would definitely not be the Knicks’ lottery pick this year. No way. Not a chance.

But any compensation would, somehow against all odds, let the Pistons recoup value for Monroe.

Otherwise, this is just more evidence Monroe will walk with Detroit getting nothing in return.