Back in 2015, Milwaukee signing Greg Monroe was a watershed moment for the Bucks' trajectory
In 2015, if a player had offers from the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, it didn't make sense for Milwaukee fans to get their hopes up that the player would choose the Bucks. But then Moose said yes to the Midwestern habitat.
"While a lot of people will say, 'Is this a statement about big cities?' No. It's just about a statement that this is a good fit for Greg Monroe," Monroe's agent, David Falk, said after the Bucks landed the 25-year-old big man from Detroit in free agency.
At the time, the three-year, $50 million deal was the richest average salary in franchise history, surpassing Michael Redd's six-year, $91 million max deal from a decade earlier. Monroe didn't wind up being a game-changer; he was coming off the bench a year later and traded in 2017 in the deal that brought Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee. But his signing was a stunning moment for Bucks fans who hadn't witnessed their team compete for the services of elite NBA players in their prime.
Now, Monroe is back, signing a 10-day contract with the Bucks and already appearing for 15 minutes in each of two games during Milwaukee's West Coast road trip. It remains to be seen how long he'll be patrolling the Fiserv Forum paint and shouting his fan-endeared calls for "and one!" every time he puts up a shot, and it's a completely different situation from 2015.
"I feel definitely happy to be back here in Milwaukee; it felt good to have the jersey back on," Monroe said after the Bucks defeated Portland on Saturday. "It's definitely an adjustment. Obviously a lot different from when I was here (before). You just have to try to fit in and find your way. You're learning everything on the fly. ... just try to bring some energy, just try to be in the right position. Every day, I learn new information."
What do you remember from the first Moose experience?
Khris Middleton played a big role in bringing Monroe to Milwaukee
Middleton had played his rookie season in Detroit alongside Monroe before a trade put Middleton in Milwaukee.
When Monroe was introduced, Middleton was there, too, as the Bucks announced a five-year, $70 million extension for the rising star.
"I was bugging him quite a bit, I will say that," Middleton said of his phone calls to Monroe. "Almost every couple hours.
"When I was in Detroit, Greg was somebody who competed as hard as he could every night and wanted to win. He's very talented and skilled and he can score on the block. He can step away, make moves and make plays for everybody. I think he's going to fit in great with us."
Monroe was one of 12 players to average a double-double in 2014 (15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds), and he and Andre Drummond combined to be the top rebounding duo in the league (23.7 per game). In full, Monroe averaged 14.3 points and 9.2 rebounds in five seasons with the Pistons.
He wasn't seen as one of the top free agents overall
It was big news in Milwaukee but not necessarily across the league with a star-studded class of free agents that included Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge. Even LeBron James, who had negotiated for a way out after one season back in Cleveland, was able to test the market, though he re-signed with the Cavs much as the majority of those players re-signed with their teams (except Aldridge).
DeAndre Jordan was the biggest story of free agency, agreeing to join the Dallas Mavericks and then changing his mind to return to the Clippers. Monroe, by comparison, didn't generate the same league-wide buzz, but local fans still saw the signing as a coup.
The deal allowed Monroe to opt out of his deal after the first two seasons. Monroe opted in, but by then, it wasn't seen as the huge benefit to the Bucks that it was when he signed in 2015.
The Bucks met with Monroe's team at 2 a.m.
No tampering here (allegedly). At 2 a.m., two hours after July 1 began and lifted the moratorium on negotiating with free agents, the Bucks met with Monroe's representation in Washington, D.C. Team co-owner Marc Lasry was among those in attendance, a show of respect that Falk later said went a long way with Monroe.
"Everybody can write about the competition of L.A. or New York, but it's not about that," said Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who was also part of the presentation. "It comes down to us pitching what we have and if it fits.
"It's not about the city; it's about people."
Monroe said he was intrigued by the expected return of Jabari Parker from injury, among other virtues, indicating he was "starving" for his first playoff experience. The Bucks, however, missed the playoffs in 2015-16, then bowed out in the first round of the 2017 playoffs against Toronto. The next time Monroe saw the playoffs was the following season, when he was a member of the Boston Celtics team that eliminated the Bucks in the first round.
It didn't completely work out, but perhaps it pushed the Bucks forward
It was easy to see why the Bucks were excited about their lineup of players all age 25 or younger: Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams, Monroe and John Henson. For a variety of reasons, that group never materialized as the unit that would lead Milwaukee into a new age. Monroe was traded by first-year general manager Jon Horst — a surprise hire for the vacancy left behind by John Hammond — early in 2017-18 in a package that brought back Bledsoe, who was the point guard when the Bucks took a leap toward becoming the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Since Milwaukee, Monroe has spent time with Boston, Phoenix, Toronto, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington.
Jim Owczarski contributed to this story. JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Greg Monroe signing in 2015 was major moment for Milwaukee Bucks
