Report: Pistons fire sale a possibility, Monroe calls rumors 'annoying'

It's fairly surprising that Stan Van Gundy didn't make many moves immediately after taking control of the Detroit Pistons this summer. It's beginning to look like any initial feeling out period has come to a close, and the organization is ready to shake things up.

There were flaws with the roster when Van Gundy took over, namely that the team's most talented players don't fit together tactically. The team opted only to tweak at the margins this summer, giving the core another chance to mesh. Things have gone far worse than expected, with the Pistons off to a 5-20 start and playing aesthetically atrocious basketball.

Things need to change, and Van Gundy may have seen enough, according to multiple reports.

Forward/center Greg Monroe would be the ideal piece to move considering he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, but the Pistons asking price is said to be very high, and Monroe can veto any deal. Since he's playing out the season on a qualifying offer, Monroe would lose his Bird rights if dealt, something most players wouldn't consider doing.

But he's so fed up in Detroit that he may accept a trade, according to a report from Sean Deveney of Sporting News. That makes the biggest hurdle finding a workable deal, with Monroe's status as a free agent possibly scaring teams off if the price is too high.

That price was reported to be a first round pick, something Van Gundy denied Monday. That would seem too high for most, since Monroe can walk at the end of the year or just be signed in the offseason without surrendering a pick.

For his part, Monroe just seems tired of all the talk, denying the rumors that he wants out:

To say I was unhappy, losing 13 in a row, you can say that about everybody on the team. Nobody's happy when you lose 13 games in a row. But as far as where he took it, that was completely false, and it's really, like, ridiculous to have to come in here and answer questions like this.

Especially right now, lose 13 straight, finally get a couple games, then you've got to come in here and hear this while you're getting ready for a game. At this point, it's definitely annoying, because we're trying to turn things around right here, right now, and I've got to come in here and answer something that I've got absolutely nothing to do with, that I know I didn't say.

Adding more drama to the proceedings is a report from Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, which states that the Pistons have put both Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith on the trade block.

That just makes sense, considering the poor fit both players represent for a standard Van Gundy scheme. Smith, in particular, was heavily rumored to be on his way to the Sacramento Kings in the summer. Smith has two years and $27 million left on his deal beyond this season, while Jennings has a single year left at $8.3 million. Neither is too onerous a contract to trade, but the Pistons may not find offers that provide anything beyond salary relief.

So, the entire Pistons roster - outside of Andre Drummond - is probably available in some form or another. With the Pistons having won two of their last three, they may ease off the trade throttle, but eventually this roster is going to look appreciably different.

-with h/t to Eye on Basketball