Tag: Malik Monk

Malik Monk leaves Lakers to join Sacramento Kings

One of the Lakers’ best players this past season is leaving the team.

When guard Malik Monk signed with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer for the veteran’s minimum salary, it was seen as a big steal.

The 6-foot-3 man was the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but in four pro seasons, he hadn’t really panned out.

His one-year, $1.8 million contract with L.A. was another opportunity for him to prove he could still fulfill his potential.

In what was a terrible season for the Purple and Gold, Monk was one of the few bright spots for the team, averaging 13.8 points in 28.1 minutes a game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range.

But he will now be joining the Sacramento Kings as a free agent.

Monk’s strong play this season raised his value around the NBA, and many expected that he would be worth more than the Lakers’ taxpayer mid-level exception, which is nearly $6.4 million.

He had hinted that he would be open to staying with L.A. for less money, but that is out of the window now.

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NBA Free Agency tracker: Catch up on all the major signings in the 2022 offseason

PJ Tucker is reuniting with James Harden! What else has happened?

The NBA free agency madness has officially begun.

On Thursday at 6 p.m. ET, the “legal tampering period” kick-off, which meant NBA reporters everywhere were delivering reported scoops of who was re-signing, who was going elsewhere, and who got massive supermax deals.

If your head is spinning with all the news that dropped basically at once, it’s understandable.

And if that’s the case, we’ve put together a helpful tracker that we’ll keep updating throughout the night and throughout the offseason, and that includes some of the extension that will be inked.

Here’s who has signed, in somewhat chronological order.

5 underappreciated NBA free agents that might be great steals this offseason, including Gary Payton II

Who is available for relatively cheap that can help turn a franchise around?

The NBA offseason is chaotic, but when the dust settles, there are always free agents who slip through the cracks and sign cheaper contracts.

Teams that are able to identify the players that fit that description will have a competitive advantage on the floor during the season. But the problem is that if several teams all believe the same player could be a steal, his price will go up and he is no longer as valuable of an asset.

Last season, the Bulls signed Alex Caruso to a fair contract, and he helped define Chicago’s defensive identity. JaVale McGee signed a minimum deal with the Suns and he was better than expected. The Warriors also found Otto Porter Jr. on a minimum deal, and he played a valuable role in their title run.

As we get set for this offseason to turn on the jets, we wanted to take a look at some of the players who might fit that description this summer:

Malik Monk may accept less money to remain with the Lakers

Lakers guard Malik Monk, who was one of their best players this season, seems open to a bit of a pay cut in order to remain with the team.

Last summer, Malik Monk took something of a pay cut to join the Los Angeles Lakers on a one year veteran’s minimum contract worth nearly $1.8 million.

Monk had a brilliant season for L.A., and he gradually improved his production as the year went on.

Overall, he averaged 13.8 points in 28.1 minutes per game while shooting 47.3 percent overall from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range.

At times, he was the Lakers’ only consistent offensive threat other than LeBron James.

But his success created a problem, as it raised his value on the open market this summer, presumably above the taxpayer mid-level exception the Lakers could offer.

But Monk has now implied that he may accept a slightly lower offer in order to remain in the Purple and Gold.

The taxpayer mid-level exception will be worth anywhere from $6 million to $7 million, and many pundits have felt it won’t be enough to get him to agree to a new contract with L.A.

Monk may be a mediocre defender, but as an instant offense man off the bench, he would continue to give the team a huge lift next season.

In addition to his strong 3-point shooting, he is adept at attacking the rim, and he is a strong finisher at the rim, especially in transition.

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Malik Monk on whether he’d have to start to stay with Lakers

Will Malik Monk staying with the Lakers be contingent on what role their next head coach asks him to play?

Most fans of the Los Angeles Lakers would agree that retaining guard Malik Monk is integral to the team’s hopes of becoming an elite team again next season.

Monk had a very strong season for L.A., and outside of LeBron James, he was its only consistent offensive threat throughout the year.

Head coach Frank Vogel pivoted back and forth between starting Monk and bringing him in off the bench, partly due to all the key injuries the Lakers suffered.

The good news: Monk said during his exit interview it doesn’t matter whether he would start or be a reserve if he were to still be with the Purple and Gold.

Via Silver Screen and Roll:

“Not really man,” Monk said. “It’s whatever the team wants me to do. I’m comfortable with whatever they want me to do.”

Of the 76 games he appeared in this season, he started 37. He seemed to shoot better, especially from the 3-point line, as a starter, but he was clearly still effective coming off the bench.

If Monk really means what he said, signing him to a new contract would be a little easier for the Lakers, provided they are able to offer him enough money.

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Lakers player season grades: Malik Monk

Our final analysis of Malik Monk’s performance this season for the Lakers.

Five years ago, Malik Monk of the University of Kentucky was the 11th overall pick in the NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, and he was thought to have great potential as a scoring combo guard in the pros.

But after four seasons, he had failed to pan out, and he had started just one game in the NBA.

Thus, there wasn’t much interest in him as a free agent last summer, and the Los Angeles Lakers were able to scoop him up for the veteran’s minimum salary of about $1.8 million for one season.

Monk may have been the biggest bargain in the entire league this season.

Malik Monk talks about whether he’s open to staying with Lakers

The Lakers want and need Malik Monk to remain with the team, but is the feeling mutual?

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers just finished their most disappointing and disastrous season ever, they did have a few bright spots.

Perhaps the brightest was guard Malik Monk, who was signed for about $1.8 million last summer.

He may have been a Sacks SFO-type of bargain, but the value he brought to the Purple and Gold was more akin to Saks Fifth Avenue.

Monk endeared himself to Lakers fans this season with his explosive offensive game, and the former lottery pick seemed to be turning into the best version of himself throughout the season.

He could command much more money this offseason as a free agent, which may put him beyond L.A.’s price range.

But Monk said during his exit interview that he would like to stay with the Lakers.

Via Silver Screen and Roll:

“Rob (Pelinka) and Frank (Vogel) were the first people to call me as soon as free agency hit,” Monk said, “and they told me this exact picture that happened this year for how they see me playing and it worked out perfect with that aspect, so I just thank those guys for that.

“I love being here, man. I love playing in this atmosphere and of course would love to come back and not do this again.”

When Monk said “not do this again,” it seemed he was referring to losing as many games as the Lakers did after being expected to contend for the NBA championship.

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Austin Reaves’ triple-double, Obi Toppin’s 42 and other wild lines from the NBA’s regular-season finale

Everyone decided to score 40 points on the final day of the NBA’s regular season.

The end of the NBA’s regular season is always a joy.

You get your share of teams playing with something on the line (especially with the recent introduction of the play-in tournament), teams who are resting stars ahead of the playoffs, and others who are shamelessly tanking for draft positioning.

The latter two are obviously the most fun because it leads to things like Andre Ingram being called up from the NBA G League in 2018, Grayson Allen scoring 40 points in the 2017 finale, or Kobe’s 60-point farewell.

Nevertheless, the season’s final day traditionally leaves us with plenty to talk about. This past Sunday was no different.

Here’s everything that took place:

Rob Pelinka ‘hopeful’ Malik Monk will stay with Lakers

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka says he is “hopeful” that Malik Monk, a key free agent signing last summer, will stay with the team.

Although Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk has been somewhat inconsistent this season, he has quickly emerged as one of the team’s best and most important players.

His ability to create his own shot, get to the rim and score, hit 3-pointers, finish strongly in transition and handle the ball has been a big factor whenever the Lakers have had success this season.

He was signed last summer to a veteran’s minimum contract, and he has been one of the NBA’s best bargains.

Monk is averaging 12.9 points in 27.7 minutes per game while shooting 46.4% from the field and 39.2% from 3-point land.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka seems thrilled with what Monk has brought his team and would love to see him remain with the Lakers past this season.

“The partnership has been a win from both sides,” Pelinka says. “Both for the Lakers, in terms of the productivity he’s had for us and then I think on his side, just showing people what he can do in big moments in big games. … He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.”

Monk has not only been one of the team’s best scoring options, but he has increased his scoring output as the season has moved along.

If the Lakers are to have any chance of rectifying their situation and contending for the NBA championship next season, Monk will likely have to be a part of it, given the team’s limited assets.

But retaining him will be a challenge.

Lakers highlights: Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk throw it down

The Lakers fought back from a big first-half deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers with the help of two highlight-reel dunks.

The Los Angeles Lakers got killed on the boards in the first half of their Thursday contest against the Los Angeles Clippers, leading to a 17-point deficit in the second quarter.

But the Purple and Gold fought back to make the score 66-63 at halftime, and they did so with the help of their “Showtime” fastbreak.

The Lakers’ transition game has come and gone this season, as they have been inconsistent defensively, but when they have cranked it up, it has been among the best in the NBA this season.

Within a brief span, both Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk took the elevator to the top floor and threw down sick alley-oop dunks off passes from Austin Reaves.

LeBron James also did his part with a very efficient 18 points in the first half, to go along with five rebounds.

The Lakers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and they have lost six in a row to the Clippers.

Is this the night they start turning things around?

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