Atlanta Hawks: Trade Target #2 – Greg Monroe
SDS’s trade target series continues with another interesting move the Hawks could/should try and kick the tires on as they try and position themselves to make another run in the second half to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
On Monday, I started our trade target series off with a bang, giving you a scenario where Dwight Howard would finally make his way back home. In today’s edition, the Hawks look for similar help on the glass and in the paint.
Trade Target #2 – Greg Monroe
Let me preface this by saying that the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t “officially” made Monroe available. But with the team sitting at 19-25 overall (13th) in the East at the time of this piece, they are certainly willing to listen to offers. Outside of Dwight Howard and Markeiff Morris, there likely isn’t a player who has had the rumor mill swirling more than Monroe over the last week or so.
With the Hawks looking for help on the boards and Monroe having one of the best statistical seasons of his career in that regard, he would fit the Hawks system and what they are trying to accomplish, while making the team younger and extending the window of title contention for this group. But first, let’s take a look at the trade.
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=j68s8tj
The Trade Machine doesn’t allow for draft picks to be included, so I am adding those manually. The Hawks would send their first round pick this season, one of their two second round picks this season (likely the one acquired from the Wizards for Kelly Oubre since it will be higher) and the protected 1st rounder received from the Timberwolves in the Adreian Payne deal over to the Bucks.
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Atlanta Hawks
In this deal, the Hawks give up one franchise cornerstone due to hit the free agent market this summer in Al Horford along with Tim Hardaway Jr. (essentially our first rounder this season) and a bevy of draft picks that include two first rounders. That may sound like a lot, but Monroe is under contract for at least one more season with a player option on a third and is one of the better young big men in the league right now.
Monroe would fit well into Coach Bud’s system and while he isn’t going to stretch the floor like Horford has been doing lately, he’s a better post player and will help the Hawks out on the interior as he is a much better rebounder than Horford is. And stop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Hawks are THE WORST rebounding team in the league. Since 2000, there has been only one team finish outside of the Top 16 in rebounding and get to the NBA Finals. That team was the Miami Heat in both 2012 and 2013. Those teams also had LeBron James. The last time I checked, the Hawks don’t have a guy with that type of ability so improving on the glass is a necessity. Horford’s rebounding numbers just don’t compare to those of Monroe’s thus swapping the two would be a net positive for the Hawks both now and in the future.
Copeland is a “throw in” with this deal to make the players match, but he has the ability to help the team stretch the floor in this Coach Bud offense and will come off the books after the season so there would be no long term cap affects to bringing him in.
Milwaukee Bucks
Our friends over at Behind The Buck Pass, had a piece earlier this week on Monroe and the potential for the team to move him and some of the reasons why it would make sense. As Hawks’ fans know all too well, signing players to big contracts when you are a “small market team” is a big risk. And when you take those risks and they don’t work out, you have to be proactive in moving on as contracts for players who don’t fit are killers for teams not stationed in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or Boston.
The Bucks were supposed to take a giant leap forward with the addition of Monroe and with Jabari Parker making his way back from injury, but the results just haven’t been there. And with the Greek Freak due for a massive raise soon, the Bucks will have a big decision to make at the deadline. This is a league of wings and the All-Star starters only prove that even more. The Bucks will likely want to invest in that position as opposed to holding onto a center that clearly doesn’t make them any better.
From the Hawks, they would get Horford, a player that could help them down the stretch if they start to get hot and sneak into the playoffs, Hardaway Jr, draft picks and cap space. Horford could very well be the player for the Bucks that they thought Monroe would be. The Bucks run a more up tempo offense and Horford is more fit to play in that that Monroe is. If the Bucks get hot down the stretch, Horford could really help this team get back to the playoffs and then if the team sees him as a long-term fit, they would own his bird rights in the offseason. If not, his salary comes off the books for Giannis’ extension.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is under contract for next season at a very reasonable rate and with O.J. Mayo set for free agency, he would be the perfect replacement next season. They are similar players in that they both play the same position and are volume shooters/scorers with similar skill sets. The difference in salary is about $6M, thus creating more cap space for the Bucks.
The draft picks are a mix of first and second rounders that would help the team add depth with th
likely departures of a few key bench pieces in Vasquez, Bayless, the aforementioned Mayo, and Miles Plumlee. The team likely won’t be able to bring them all back and additional draft picks, including two in the first round, would help fill those roles as this young team continues to grow. The picks could also be packaged to move up a few spots in the first round this summer as the year’s draft is top heavy and the Bucks should have a lottery pick of their own.
Next: Trade Target #1 - Dwight Howard
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