Soon-to-be free agent Greg Monroe reportedly was a "done deal" to sign with the New York Knicks, but his agent is saying not so fast. David Falk, the agent for the Detroit Pistons forward, told the New York Post his client will explore all options when free agency begins in July.
The New York Daily News reported earlier in the week Monroe was "about as close to a done deal as you can get" to signing with New York in July. It's illegal for New York to contact Monroe or his representatives before the start of free agency on July 1, but the report suggested the two sides had expressed their mutual interest in each other through backchannels.
Falk, though, threw water on the report Tuesday night.
"It's so silly," he told the New York Post. "It's factually incorrect and completely unsubstantiated."
Folk did acknowledge he and Monroe would meet with the Knicks in free agency, but he indicated his client would explore all of his options after the season before deciding where to sign.
"Do I think he'd be a good fit for the Knicks?" Falk said. "Absolutely. He'd be a good fit for 30 teams. Can he work in the triangle? Sure. He played the Princeton offense at Georgetown. He could play in the rhombus. He'd be a great fit for any system. ... He'll have a wide range of teams and options."
Two more interesting tidbits from Falk: a five-year contract wouldn't matter to Monroe, and Monroe still hasn't decided whether he wants to be the star on a younger team or a complementary piece on a playoff-contending team.
Detroit is the only team that can offer Monroe a five-year deal. Although Monroe reportedly is now considering re-signing with the Pistons, Folk's claim that a fifth year won't be a factor in Monroe's decision takes away that ace-up-the-sleeve from Detroit.
The second tidbit leaves open the door for a number of non-playoff teams to have a chance at signing Monroe, including the Knicks.
It's worth mentioning Falk's denial about Monroe being a lock to sign with New York could just be a smoke screen, especially given the NBA rules that prohibit tampering.
