When the Milwaukee Bucks tried to trade Greg Monroe this summer, they had no idea that they would wind up with no takers.

What that means in the short term is that Monroe will most likely exercise his player option and opt into his contract for the 2017-18 season. That means the Bucks will have him on the books for $17,884,176, unless they find a way to unload him.

The Bucks were counting on having the extra cap space after extending Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 4-year $100 million extension this summer. The extension was a part of the team's plans to build into the future, but Monroe’s opt-in isn't.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, Milwaukee is now working on a contingency plan in the event that their “priced” center indeed opts in.

There is one more possibility, and that is if Monroe becomes unhappy enough to look for greener pastures before that time comes. If he decides that he just doesn’t like Milwaukee enough even for the money, he can opt out and negotiate with whatever team will have him.

He could also play well enough to earn a nice pay day from another team, and opt out to pursue a better deal elsewhere.

There are a few scenarios that can play out in this situation, but many of the decisions lie in Monroe’s hands.

The decision, whatever it may be, won’t happen for at least another year, but as of now the Bucks are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.