Is Greg Monroe The Lakers Next Big Man?

Feb 21, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons power forward Greg Monroe (10) holds the ball as Atlanta Hawks power forward Paul Millsap (4) defends in the first quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe signed a qualifying offer to remain in Detroit for one more year, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer. Monroe reportedly wanted a max contract, but the Pistons obviously didn’t feel he was worthy of such a deal. So, Monroe opted to sign the qualifying offer, rare in today’s NBA considering restricted free agents usually get respectable offers.

When this news broke, whispers of the Los Angeles Lakers making a run at him in 2015 came pouring in. The big questions for the Lakers now are, can Monroe play at an elite level, and could he handle the spotlight and criticism of being the next Lakers big man?

It’s obvious that the Lakers and Greg “Moose” Monroe intrigue one another, but there are questions about whether Monroe will ever become that dominant big man teams crave so much…