Sources: Suns Prefer Trading Greg Monroe Over Buyout

The Phoenix Suns prefer to explore the trade market on the expiring contract of Greg Monroe before proceeding on contract-buyout talks, league sources told ESPN.

The Suns acquired the veteran big man as part of a trade package for guard Eric Bledsoe with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday and decidedly value Monroe’s $17.8 million contract as a trade asset on the market. The Bucks included a protected 2018 first-round pick and a protected second-round pick in the deal.

Monroe, 27, doesn’t fit into the Suns’ long-term rebuilding plans, and he likely would prefer to join a contending team as a free agent to increase his value on his way into the summer marketplace. Talks could eventually come on a contract buyout, and it’s unlikely that he would remain in Phoenix beyond the February trading deadline — leaving either by buyout or trade.

Source: Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN