Getty Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk reacts during a game against the Brooklyn Nets.
It’s never too early to start thinking about next year. No matter what happens to the Philadelphia 76ers as they chase the franchise’s first championship since 1983, the quest to surround Joel Embiid with impact shooters is a never-ending one. And the Sixers just watched a 24-year-old assassin light them up for 23 points.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk was phenomenal on Wednesday night at Staples Center. He hit clutch bucket after clutch bucket while putting his full arsenal on display. Monk’s highlight-reel moment came when he blurred by James Harden, then rose up over Joel Embiid and Georges Niang for a rim-rattling dunk. It was beautiful. He went 10-of-20 from the field and buried three triples in 32 minutes.
Monk is in his first season with the Lakers after a semi-bitter divorce from the Charlotte Hornets. And he’s thriving in Hollywood. The 11th overall pick from the 2017 draft is averaging career highs in points (13.1), assists (2.7), rebounds (3.3), and field-goal percentage (46.8) while shooting 38.9% from three-point range. He’s certainly garnered LeBron James’ attention after 67 games.
Malik Monk turns the corner!
@Lakers up 3 early on ESPN
“He brings a knockout punch that — to be completely honest with you — we haven’t had on our roster since I got here,” James told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Someone that can literally, if he makes one, it can be two, three, four, five in a row.”
But Monk is set to hit free agency ahead of the 2022-23 season. Perhaps Tyrese Maxey could turn on that megawatt charm and recruit another dynamic Kentucky alum to join the Sixers. Heck, Monk already expressed interest in Philadelphia when he told ESPN that he liked the view from this “pretty a** city.”
The latest Sixers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Sixers newsletter here!
Sixers Should Target Monk This Offseason
Monk would be the perfect candidate to replace everything the Sixers lost when they shipped Seth Curry to Brooklyn. And he’s seven years younger. The Lakers are going to make a strong push to retain Monk, but Los Angeles doesn’t control his Bird Rights and the unrestricted free agent is going to have plenty of offers.
The best they could probably offer is the taxpayer’s midlevel exception worth roughly $6.3 million (or two years at $13 million), according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. They want to keep him, it just might not be possible.
Malik Monk’s 2nd career start!
17 PTS, 4 3PT, 3 AST & this clutch shot
Enter Philadelphia. The Sixers have their own array of salary-cap problems heading into the 2022-23 offseason. First, team president Daryl Morey might need to convince James Harden to take a pay cut. ESPN’s Zach Lowe proposed a theory that Harden will decline his option — the one he conveniently failed to file on time — and re-sign for less money after the Sixers “dump Tobias Harris.”
After that? Philly would be inclined to chase a third superstar (see: Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine) or fill out their roster with depth signings. Monk would be an ideal fit for the latter.
What Would Lakers Standout Cost?
CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn provided an excellent breakdown of Monk’s options in free agency, including which teams have enough cap space to go after him. He picked out the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic as possible destinations strictly from a financial standpoint. They could potentially throw four years at $45 million at him. But Monk already experienced losing during his time in Charlotte, so he might not want to revert back to that.
Rob Pelinka is hoping the Lakers can re-sign Malik Monk in free agency this summer.
“He’s a guy that we would see as hopefully a part of our future.” t.co/rJ90iI9tQk
The Lakers – with the appeal of Hollywood and LeBron James – remain an intriguing option. And the two sides like each other. Then again, the Lakers are about to miss the playoffs for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. Think about that.
Philadelphia suddenly becomes a much more attractive option for Monk if they can work out the financials The Sixers would have to get creative in tweaking their roster (possible casualties: Danny Green, Furkan Korkmaz, Georges Niang). Is it worth it? That’s the $45 million question.