NBA draft 2015: Pistons reportedly looking to replace free agent Greg Monroe through draft

The Pistons once again find themselves in the lottery, and will have the eighth pick in the 2015 draft. However, this draft could alter Detroit's roster more than previously anticipated, with stories from MLive's David Mayo and The Detroit News' Terry Foster that Stan Van Gundy is not counting on Greg Monroe returning and looking to replace him through the draft. Could this mean the Pistons don't have faith in their ability to re-sign Monroe? Or are they angling for better depth in the front court? Either way, don't be surprised if Detroit selects a big man with their first pick. Per Terry Foster:

The Pistons also could look at Kentucky's Trey Lyles (6-10), Texas' Myles Turner (6-11) or Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky (7-0). They also could try to trade up to snag Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis (7-0).

Pistons.com's Keith Langlois also toyed with the idea of Detroit selecting a center in the lottery, naming Willie Cauley-Stein as a potential replacement for Joel Anthony prior to the draft combine. Langlois later tweeted that Cauley-Stein and the Pistons discussed the possibility of the Kentucky product playing alongside Andre Drummond rather than backing him up. David Mayo took a stronger stance:

With the Pistons likely to lose Monroe, the underlying motive of the interview is to determine whether Kaminsky could replace him.

Kaminsky has similar abilities as a high-post hub. Monroe is a superior interior offensive post presence but Kaminsky has a big edge stepping away from the basket.

Stan Van Gundy certainly seemed intent on adding stretch-4s to the Pistons' arsenal, with the addition of Anthony Tolliver, Shawne Williams and Quincy Miller over the course of the season, but could the team look to move on from Greg Monroe's post game to favor a sharpshooting big man? Detroit played well with Anthony Tolliver assuming the starting position for an injured Monroe at the end of the season, and it seems the team's performance during that stretch may have influenced the front office's decision regarding the future of the power forward position in Motown.

With the former Georgetown Hoya drawing league-wide interest, initial indications suggest that the Pistons are pessimistic about their odds of retaining the 24-year-old center. Is Greg's time in Detroit really up? If so, with whom should they replace him?