Monroe opts for road less travelled
Basketball drives decisions for centre who once picked Milwaukee over bigger markets
It was the summer of 2015, a life-changing time for Greg Monroe, perhaps the defining moment of his NBA career.
He was a free agent and a promising player, at times a dominant big man who had been part of a growing program in Detroit. Untold fame and riches awaited.
The New York Knicks came calling, the Los Angeles Lakers expressed serious interest — two marquee franchises in glamorous cities who wanted to pay him a king’s ransom. The Portland Trail Blazers, an up-and-coming team in a lovely city, made their pitch as well.
So did the Milwaukee Bucks. A good team, for sure, but a small market hardly thought of as a destination for bigtime free agents, which Monroe was at that time.
And he picked the Bucks, the most notable free agent to “choose” Milwaukee over other franchises in years. The decision may not have set the NBA on its ears but it did set the league buzzing.
It was really quite simple, says Monroe, now a deep bench piece of the Toronto Raptors.
“I just felt that that was the best basketball decision for me,” Monroe said this weekend before the Raptors hosted his old team at the Scotiabank Arena. “Cities don’t matter … that’s not how everybody thinks and makes their decisions.”
The three-year, $50-million (U.S.) deal Monroe signed that summer certainly set him up for life financially but it didn’t do a whole lot for his basketball career.
He ended up coming off the bench for the Bucks, starting just 67 of the 165 games he played before being traded to Phoenix last season. He made his playoff debut with the Bucks and had a hand in the development of team that is a legitimate contender for the Eastern Conference championship today, but he did not become a star.
“Obviously, you want to win more, that would be it,” he said of any regret he might have. “I wasn’t looking to get traded … but it happens. I’m not the first guy to get traded, I’m not the last.”
In some ways, Monroe’s decision to join the Bucks when other big-market franchises were interested somehow bestowed a small measure of legitimacy to Milwaukee.
“I wouldn’t say I did that,” Monroe said.
“Obviously Giannis (Antetokounmpo) blew up when I was there. Khris Middleton, a guy I’ve known for a long time, got a lot better and started producing at a high level. There were a lot of different people there that made the rise for the Bucks. I wouldn’t say I brought that respect, maybe a little bit more attention, but I think we earned it as a group.”
Monroe was dealt from Milwaukee to Phoenix, where he was ultimately bought out by the Suns, then hooked up with the Boston Celtics as playoff insurance late last season.
The 28-year-old made another wise basketball decision earlier this year, agreeing to a oneyear, $2.2-million contract with the Raptors, another team that is giving him a serious shot at playing for a championship.
He has been used sparingly, appearing in just 11 of Toronto’s first 27 games, but he’s played well whenever he’s been asked.
Monroe is also valued as a teammate and veteran presence. Toronto coach Nick Nurse speaks highly of his character, teammates appreciate his professional approach to his craft, and he’s a valuable depth piece.
“I don’t want people to think I’m a bad guy,” he says with a chuckle.
“You have to enjoy this, this only lasts for so long and at this point for me, personally, I think everything you can go through in this league I’ve been through, besides being an all-star or winning a championship. I’ve been traded, I’ve been bought out, I’ve been on playoff teams, I’ve started, I’ve come off the bench. Everything. “When you go through as much as I have in my career, you don’t take anything for granted. I understand that being a good teammate matters, having the respect of your teammates is obviously more important than anything.”