Greg Monroe to the Raptors: Fantasy Context
Free agent big man Greg Monroe has agreed to a veterans minimum deal with the Toronto Raptors. The big reportedly had other offers but opted for the Raptors due to the chance to contend for a championship while playing meaningful minutes.
Monroe will likely serve as backup at both the four and the five spots and could be thrust into a potential starting role if either Jonas Valanciunas or Serge Ibaka is dealt sometime between now and this seasons trade deadline.
This is a solid move for the Toronto Raptors as they fill a void in the frontcourt and get a versatile albeit limited big man who can log effective minutes at both center and at power forward where he has logged 36 percent of his starts in the NBA.
Fantasy Context:
Greg Monroe does not really affect the fantasy value of any other player on the Raptors for the time being as he looks to fill the minute void in the frontcourt caused by the departure of Jakob Poeltl in the Kawhi Leonard-DeMar Derozan trade. Monroe figures to play around 20 minutes per night which should lead him to match his career numbers as a backup of 10 points and 6.5 rebounds with shooting over .500. There is already some talk that Nick Nurse may work with Greg Monroe on extending his range to the three point arc but only time will tell if he can develop a long distance shot. Monroe remains merely a depth piece for those in deeper leagues but he could see a larger opportunity in the event of a trade as mentioned above or in the event of an injury to any of the Raptors frontcourt.
