Greg Monroe Leaves Big-Market Teams in the Dust with Milwaukee Bucks Max Deal

Imagine how different the sales pitches must have been for free-agent center Greg Monroe.

The Los Angeles Lakers could have tempted him with their storied past and warm-weather climate. The New York Knicks offered a spot in the NBA's biggest market, plus the business opportunities such a platform presents. The Milwaukee Bucks could have approached the big man with...Wisconsin cheese?

The Bucks don't have any built-in market advantages to put forward. There is no Hollywood nightlife, nor the bright lights of Times Square. There's a single championship banner (as compared to the Lakers' 16) hanging from the rafters of the BMO Harris Bradley Center (which no one would confuse for NYC's famed Madison Square Garden).

Milwaukee shouldn't have had a chance in the race for the Moose. But the Bucks—not their major-market competitors—were the ones able to get Monroe's commitment to a three-year, $50 million contract, sources told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. The pact includes a player option for the third season, which Bleacher Report's Howard Beck noted could help Monroe dip into the league's new TV money:

On the surface, one might assume a different type of cheese led Monroe to Milwaukee. If the Bucks landed someone both the Lakers and Knicks were targeting, surely they had to place the highest bid, right?

Wrong. All three teams—plus the Portland Trail Blazers—put max offers in front of Monroe, according to Beck:

Monroe's agent, David Falk, confirmed that his client could have collected the same money from all four clubs, per CBS Sports' Ken Berger:

Before breaking down Milwaukee's readiness to compete with Monroe, it's imperative to take stock of what just happened.

There's been a longstanding belief that their market size and ability to print money made both the Lakers and Knicks desirable landing spots for free agents. But that theory hasn't yielded any top-shelf talent to either organization for a while.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The Lakers' last marquee signing was an aging Steve Nash in 2012. And that was a sign-and-trade, which cost the franchise four future draft picks (including two first-rounders). The Knicks' biggest pull from the 2015 free-agent crop has been the solid-but-nowhere-near-spectacular Arron Afflalo, who agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal on Thursday, sources told ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne.

It's tempting to say the organizations have lost their appeal, especially when they can't even secure a second-tier talent like Monroe. But that isn't entirely accurate.

"The mystique is real and powerful, but it only matters when there's actual basketball to sell, too. And that second part has always been true," wrote Grantland's Andrew Sharp.

The Knicks and Lakers won 38 games combined this past season. The Bucks won 41, and remember, they had to adjust after trading away their then-leading scorer Brandon Knight at the deadline.

Success matters, even when Monroe to the Knicks looked "about as close to a done deal as you can get," as one executive told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News in April.

Monroe, was unable to make a playoff run during his five seasons with the Detroit Pistons, never masked the fact that he was searching for a winning situation.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

"I'm looking to be with a team that's ready to win," Monroe told Darrell Williams of the Advocate. "Hopefully it will be a team where I'm the missing piece."

The Bucks, Lakers and Knicks are all in various stages of the rebuilding process. But Milwaukee is the furthest ahead and has an obvious need for Monroe's scoring punch. If he wanted to view himself as the missing piece, the Bucks should have been able to paint that picture pretty easily.

Player	PPG	FG%	ORtg	PER
Greg Monroe	15.9	49.6	110	21.2
Michael Carter-Williams	14.1	42.9	97	16.3
Khris Middleton	13.4	46.7	109	15.6
Giannis Antetokounmpo	12.7	49.1	105	14.8
Jabari Parker	12.3	49.0	101	14.5

"Monroe provides the center the Bucks desperately need, and he should thrive no longer playing next to Andre Drummond," wrote NBC Sports' Dan Feldman. "The lane will be much clearer for Monroe's post moves."

It's not a perfect fit by any stretch.

Assuming the Bucks plug all five players from the table above into the starting lineup, they'll have three guys who can't space the floor. Monroe has attempted seven three-pointers in his career and misfired on all of them. Giannis Antetokounmpo went 7-of-44 from deep this past season (15.9 percent). Michael Carter-Williams is just a 25.2 percent perimeter shooter for his career.

Littered with youth and athleticism, this roster looks like it's built to run. The Bucks didn't play this past season at breakneck speeds, but they did have the 12th-fastest pace (96.5 possessions per 48 minutes) and seventh-most fast-break points (15.1 per game).

Monroe's plodding, back-to-the-basket game may force the Bucks to slow down. And their defense won't have much protection when he's manning the middle. Of the 83 players to defend at least five shots at the rim per game in 2014-15, only 11 had a worse field-goal percentage against than Monroe (55.1).

But the big man could help solve some of this team's biggest issues, too.

The Bucks had the seventh-worst defensive rebounding percentage this past season (73.3). Monroe has the 10th-most defensive rebounds over the past three years (1,520). His work on the boards—coupled with his underrated passing skills—could help Milwaukee close out defensive possessions and push the tempo the other way.

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Milwaukee also needs more capable, consistent scoring options. Only seven teams averaged fewer points than the Bucks' nightly output of 97.8 last season.

Monroe can scratch that itch a few different ways. When the Bucks get desperate for a bucket, they can give him a touch on the low block. He had the fifth-most post-up points this past season (415). His ability to find open shooters also fits nicely in an offense that ranked 12th in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage (36.9).

Bucks coach Jason Kidd loves running his offense through the high post. Milwaukee averaged 23.0 elbow touches per game this past season, the fourth-most in the league. That's the same spot where Monroe does some of his best work. He can face up there and create scoring chances for himself, or he can set the table for cutters and spot-up snipers.

On the flip side, the Bucks should help cover some of Monroe's weaknesses, too.

They can keep him at the center spot where he belongs, which should clear up some congestion on the interior. The Bucks, who were second in defensive efficiency this past season, might be able to stop a lot of attacks before they find him. As ESPN Stats & Info pointed out, Milwaukee should have length at all five positions:

Not only is this group long, it's also incredibly young. If Monroe sees a long-term future in Milwaukee, this nucleus could have lasting power.

"Milwaukee's new center will likely definitely slot into the starting lineup alongside MCW, Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker," wrote Bucksketball.com's Jeremy Schmidt. "Monroe is the oldest of the group at age 25. The next two years are shaping up to be very promising for the Bucks."

This is what neither the Knicks nor the Lakers could sell Monroe. Their current stars are fading (Kobe Bryant is well past his prime; the 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony is racing against Father Time), and their young ones aren't ready to shine.

Milwaukee had a better present than Monroe's other suitors could offer. With a desire to win now, he went to the place where he had the best chance to do so.

No matter the market size, there isn't a more compelling sales pitch than that.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.