The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly seen enough in one season to know that Greg Monroe is not the right fit.
A year after signing him as a free agent, the Bucks are shopping the 26-year-old big man aggressively, according to Michael Scotto of the Associated Press.
Monroe can opt out of his contract after the 2016-17 campaign, for which he's owed $17 million.
Despite strong individual numbers, it wasn't quite the season the Bucks or Monroe likely envisioned when they agreed to a three-year, $51-million deal (the third year being a player option) last summer. The Bucks were coming off a surprise playoff season, and in adding a borderline All-Star to a unique young core, seemed poised to take another significant step forward.
Instead, they sputtered, and took a significant step back.
Most notably, their defense, which ranked second in the NBA in 2014-15, sank all the way to 22nd. That certainly doesn't all fall on Monroe's shoulders, but the Bucks struggled to integrate him into their hyperactive defensive scheme.
He possesses neither the length nor the lateral quickness to function effectively as part of a unit that seeks to send hard traps, blitz pick-and-rolls, and recover when necessary with timely rotations.
The Bucks played him primarily at center to mask his slow feet and optimize his post prowess, but Monroe doesn't really protect the rim either. He goosed the team's offense considerably, but they never found any good solutions for what to do with him at the other end.
Monroe averaged 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his first, and possibly only, season in Milwaukee.
