Greg Monroe has kept his cards close to his chest less than five weeks before the start of the free-agency season. Monroe, who averaged 11.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 22 Minutes Per Game last season, has the right to exercise his early termination clause on his contract with the Bucks and hit the free-agency market this offseason.
Monroe hasn’t spoken yet about his plan; however, a source close to the situation told Gerry Woelfel of the Journal Times that he’s going to survey the free-agency market first before making a decision on his opt-out options.
Should he stick with the Bucks, Monroe is scheduled to earn $17.88 million for the 2017/18 season, which is a bit pricey for a backup center.
"There really aren’t many teams that need centers now; there really isn’t. So, there isn’t going to be a huge demand for him. But there are some teams that could use him and I think it’ll all come down to how much (money) he wants," per Woelfel.
Maker anchoring the middle
Thon Maker is expected to get a significant increase in his playing time next season, according to Mitchell Maurer of SB Nation blog BrewHoop. Maker, the surprised 10th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, averaged 4.0 points and 2.2 boards in 9 minutes per game during his rookie season but showed flashes of brilliance on both ends of the floor once he was given a spot in starting five just before the All-Star break.
Maurer believes Maker is still the favorite to start at center next season. He will get more minutes from head coach Jason Kidd, though he also needs to show a continuous evolution of his game moving forward. Maker’s defensive potential is really something to behold. However, he must realize the need to improve his offensive game as well.
Improving his already impressive 37.8 3-point clip is a must heading into his second NBA season.
Brogdon’s future with the Bucks
Malcolm Brogdon has a nice shot at becoming the first ever second-round draft choice to win an NBA Rookie of the Year award. The Bucks’ ultimate glue guy averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 assists in 26 minutes of action.
FanSided featured columnist Paul Hedley believes Brogdon's role with the Bucks will continue to evolve next season as a shooter and secondary ball-handler for the team.
“He’s a student of the game. He works extremely hard, not just on the court but off the court, studying film and asking questions. It makes it fun to come to work when you have the opportunity to coach someone like that,” Kidd said of Brogdon.
