NBA Free Agents 2014: Greg Monroe-Ryan Anderson swap has been discussed, according to report

Add another log to the blazing Greg Monroe bonfire as a report indicates that the Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans have discussed a sign-and-trade package for Monroe and Ryan Anderson.

This makes a lot of sense and no sense for both teams all at the same time, but in the end I'm firmly on the skeptical side of the ledger.

Why it makes sense

Greg Monroe is a New Orleans native. New Orleans would love a young dynamic center to pair with budding superstar Anthony Davis. Ryan Anderson was a featured stretch-four for the Orlando Magic when Stan Van Gundy was taking them deep into the playoffs every year. Anderson is a natural power forward with deadly perimeter accuracy and would fit nicely next to budding superstar Andre Drummond.

Match made in heaven, right? No.

Why it doesn't make sense.

The Pistons would still have the problem of too many big men with Josh Smith still on board and cemented into the power forward slot. So that means you've either traded a 24-year-old big man for a reserve or you bench Smith in favor of Anderson.

Anderson is also coming off a neck injury that forced him to miss a sizable chunk of last season. He's a great player when healthy, but his health is no guarantee and the Pelicans don't exactly have many other attractive assets to sweeten the pot. Eric Gordon has his own injury issues, Tyreke Evans isn't the shooter the Pistons need and Jrue Holiday is awfully expensive and probably wouldn't be available anyway.

There is also the fact that the Pelicans seemingly just traded for their center of the present and possibly the future when they sent a future first rounder to the Houston Rockets for Omer Asik. Asik is a lockdown defender and also a player who pouted in Houston about being relegated to the bench once the team signed Dwight Howard.

So why would the Pelicans trade for him and relegate him to the bench in favor of Monroe?

It's possible that the feelers on this deal were sent out prior to New Orleans trading for Asik, but there is no evidence one way or the other. It just seems weird all around.

But back to Anderson for a moment ...

Let's say he is healthy. What would he give the Pistons? He's a 38 percent 3-point shooter for his career and would space the offense and allow Drummond full domain of the painted area. The Pelicans excelled last season in the brief time Anderson and Davis spent together. And he is only 26 years old so their would be less concern about him playing on the downside of his career once the roster is back up to snuff.

In his Orlando days, about 58 percent of his shots came from deep and you'd have to imagine Van Gundy would eye a similar role for him in Detroit.

Still, I'm skeptical that this deal makes much sense for either side. What say you?