The fallen bigs who could become NBA-changing pickups

With contenders starting to feel out the market before the trade deadline, some options are emerging to land a big man without paying a big price.

Center Greg Monroe is already on the market after the Suns agreed to a contract buyout, which makes him an unrestricted free agent, ESPN reported.

With the Suns’ crowded front court and the team in rebuilding mode, there was little room for Monroe, who was included in the Eric Bledsoe trade to match the money, with Phoenix coveting draft picks from the Bucks.

Monroe, who once looked like a budding center, spurned the Knicks in 2015 to sign a max, three-year deal for $50 million with Milwaukee, where he was supposed to be the missing piece for the Bucks to complete the puzzle with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker and Khris Middleton. However, a so-so 2015-16 season relegated Monroe into a reserve role.

Before the buyout, Monroe averaged 11 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes for the Suns this season. ESPN reported the Celtics and Pelicans have strong interest in signing him as a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

As for ex-Nets center Brook Lopez, his time with the Lakers has been anything but productive.

The 29-year-old is averaging a career-low 11.8 points in just 20.9 minutes per game, his lowest minutes total in his 10-year career. Lakers coach Luke Walton isn’t even considering him in the late stages of games after he was the big name coming to Los Angeles in return for intriguing guard D’Angelo Russell in the offseason.

Lopez’s role became evident Wednesday night, when the Lakers fell behind by 28 points to the Magic in the fourth quarter. Walton opted to play 20-year-old center Thomas Bryant, a 2017 second-round pick who was recalled from the G-League on Jan. 30, while Lopez remained benched along with the other Lakers starters with 10:27 left in the third quarter.

“Brook didn’t come back because by the time I would have put him back in, it was close to a 30-point game,” defended Walton. “And figured [I’d] get Thomas Bryant some minutes.”

In the Lakers’ 127-105 loss, Lopez played just 8:47 minutes — his lowest minutes total in a game since 2014.

Lopez dodged reporters following the loss and, before that, had exited the bench during the game to go to the locker room. The Lakers said he was using the bathroom. Sources in the organization told the Los Angeles Daily News that Lopez is frustrated.

“Brook [is] kind of stone-faced to me,” Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson said. “He don’t really show much emotion most of the time when I am around, when I see him. Shoot, who knows?”

Lopez is making $22 million this season in the final year of his contract, which like Monroe, makes him a candidate for a buyout.

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