Brooklyn Took Greg Monroe and a Second for Cash
On February 7, 2019, Toronto sent veteran center Greg Monroe and a 2021 second-round draft selection to Brooklyn for cash considerations. The choice eventually became No. 37 in 2021, tied to Auburn forward J.T. Thor. Toronto was making room and reducing payroll costs while assembling the roster that would win the NBA championship that June. Monroe had played a limited Raptors reserve role and did not fit the club’s playoff rotation plans once Marc Gasol arrived in a separate deal. Brooklyn could take a contract to obtain a future second-round asset, even without using the center on the floor. The transaction was a player-plus-pick exchange for financial compensation, not an acquisition of a long-term Nets starting center.
Monroe Never Played a Nets Regular-Season Game
Brooklyn waived Monroe shortly after acquiring him, and he never appeared in a regular-season game for the franchise as part of this agreement. His earlier Detroit and Milwaukee years were genuine NBA accomplishments, but they have no bearing on Nets playing production from the February 2019 trade. The Nets nevertheless obtained a draft selection with future value and the option to hold or move the rights when the 2021 draft arrived. Brooklyn B+ in the inherited grading reflects collecting a second-round choice for accepting a short-lived veteran contract. The club did not need Monroe to play thirty minutes a night to generate that financial return. The distinction between a completed draft-right transaction and the absence of center playing minutes is central to evaluating the outcome.
Toronto Paid Cash to Create Roster Flexibility
The Raptors received no new player or first-round draft choice from Brooklyn. The cash and salary movement gave Toronto more space to optimize a championship-contending roster after other February deadline moves. Its inherited C grade recognizes a reasonable financial decision but discounts the second-round pick surrendered. The eventual No. 37 selection became associated with J.T. Thor, yet Thor’s later NBA games were with Charlotte rather than Brooklyn and should not be credited as Brooklyn court production. The Nets controlled a valuable draft asset, while Toronto addressed immediate payroll and rotation priorities. This is a clear example of teams exchanging short-term flexibility for longer-horizon pick potential, and the winner should be understood in that context rather than as a Monroe-for-cash statistical comparison.
Final Verdict
Nets Win. Brooklyn earns B+ after accepting Greg Monroe’s contract and obtaining a future second-round pick that became No. 37 J.T. Thor in 2021, even though Monroe played no Nets games. Toronto receives C for cash and roster flexibility during its 2019 championship season. The draft asset created the longer-term Nets advantage.