Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Greg Monroe has been bought out. What’s next?

By Adam Maynes

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 24: Greg Monroe #14 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 24, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 24: Greg Monroe #14 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 24, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Minutes before the start of Suns versus Mavericks, news began to circulate that Phoenix and Greg Monroe were on the verge of a buyout, ending Monroe’s brief tenure in the Valley of the Suns, and giving the team a little less depth in the front court (then Isaiah Canaan unfortunately shattered his ankle giving the team less depth in the back court as well).

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 24: Greg Monroe #14 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 24, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 24: Greg Monroe #14 of the Phoenix Suns rebounds the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 24, 2018 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With Monroe’s departure, the Suns are left with a gaping hole at center.

Well, not gaping. Monroe was a regular DNP-CD and appeared in only 20 out a possible 40 games as Tyson Chandler continued on with his role of starting center with Alex Len performing as Chandler’s primary backup. But having Monroe on the roster provided a safety net that no longer exists. His presence alone on the bench – and his professionalism in accepting a bench role without any public complaints – gave coach Jay Triano the knowledge that should he need a center in a desperate situation, he had one sitting there.

Losing that kind of a player at that position does change several things for the team moving forward. There are many repercussions that we cannot know of at this moment, to go along with those that we do know will happen immediately.

This is a brief list of those effects to the roster that we can speculate right off, even if they aren’t the most enticing or instantaneously intriguing.

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