2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions: Greg Monroe Leaving Detroit? Despite Increased Offer, 'The Moose' Still Won't Budge! Sign And Trade May Be Only Solution!

The 2014 NBA Free Agency Rumors & Predictions is down to big names who are both restricted free agents: Greg Monroe and Eric Bledsoe. Their situations are similar but the central issues are different.

For Eric Bledsoe, it's a money issue. He has no problems playing for Phoenix, he just wants significantly more than the Suns' offer. For Monroe, it's a deeper issue. It seems like he doesn't want to return, not necessarily to the Pistons, but the frontline situation of him, Drummond and Josh Smith playing together.

From the Detroit Free Press: "The Pistons have moved from the initial five-year, $60-million offer and an offer that's slightly better on a per-year basis than the four-year, $54-million deal that Josh Smith signed last summer is on the table.

But the offer to make him the highest paid player on the roster hasn't brokered an agreement. And negotiations aren't ongoing.

The impasse could last into next month unless a sudden sign-and-trade materializes. There were discussions with the Blazers early in the process and Yahoo! Sports reported recently that brief discussions with Suns and Hawks didn't gain traction. That's probably because the Pistons are placing a premium on Monroe that teams so far have proven unwilling to pay."

The fact that the Pistons are willing to make a higher offer and Monroe still refuses reinforces the thought that money is not the issue. Team President and Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has made Greg Monroe top priority, so it's a surprise that Monroe is still unsigned this late.

SVG has already made extensive efforts to trade Josh Smith but there were no takers for his steep contract. Trading Andre Drummond is not an option at all. He is bound to become the face of the franchise and he meshes well with Monroe. Van Gundy even called them an ideal pairing.

If the Pistons and Monroe fail to reach an agreement, Monroe will be forced to accept a qualifying offer pegged at around $ 5.4 million and after this season, Monroe can walk away to any team he chooses. But $ 5.4 million is a lot lower than the reported offer.

The sign-and-trade angle is not as easy as it sounds because the Pistons want equivalent value in return. But who would give them that considering they do not have leverage?