Report: Knicks to pursue Greg Monroe in free agency

It's pretty much a done deal.

The New York Knicks will make a play for Detroit Pistons' big Greg Monroe after the season, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports, and a deal between the two parties is likely to be broached this summer, when Monroe enters free agency.

The Pistons expressed interest in extending Monroe last summer, but the two sides could not come to a consensus. That left Monroe to sign a qualifying offer, which makes him an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Knicks have a plethora of holes on the roster and grabbing a multi-talented big like Monroe would fit perfectly into their triangle offense. Monroe is a strong passer, a talented scorer and a tenacious rebounder on the block. He's averaging 16.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and two assists per game as a Piston this season.

However, Monroe does come with his flaws and he might not be the best fit. First, the Knicks are likely to land a top pick this summer and the upcoming draft is top-heavy with bigs, including Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke's Jahlil Okafor. On the other hand, Monroe has also shown to be a relatively weak defender who doesn't exactly profile as Phil Jackson's coveted Tyson Chandler-type of defender.

Still, Monroe would be a definite upgrade for the Knicks. Given that the Pistons would also be interested in Monroe's services, the talented big is likely to command something close to a max contract.