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3 reasons why Malik Monk should ditch the Los Angeles Lakers

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 03: Malik Monk #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three point basket in the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 03: Malik Monk #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three point basket in the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 03, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Malik Monk has probably been the most promising part of an extremely disappointing season for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have really struggled in just about every right and at this point, it seems unlikely that the team can even get out of the Play-In Tournament to give themselves a chance in the playoffs.

With that being said, some fans may have already turned to look ahead in the offseason and one of the biggest storylines is whether or not the team is able to re-sign Malik Monk. Monk has been the team’s third-best player and is someone who Laker fans have really grown to admire.

And while his agent recently said that he hopes Monk is a Laker forever, the NBA is a business and the sharpshooting guard has plenty of reasons to ditch the Lakers this summer, as sad as it is to admit.

Three reasons why Malik Monk should ditch the Los Angeles Lakers this summer:

1. The money

This is the most obvious reason for Monk to leave the Lakers. The Los Angeles Lakers are still going to be handcuffed by Russell Westbrook’s massive contract and the team is yet again going to be over the luxury tax.

With no Bird Rights, the most the Lakers can offer Monk is the Taxpayer’s Mid-Level Exception, which was worth $5.9 million this season. That is definitely lower than Monk’s market value this offseason.

Sure, teams gave up on Monk last summer but that does not mean that they will ignore what they saw this season on the Lakers. We have seen teams give up on other shooting specialists who don’t seem to play great defense only for that player to have a decent-sized market the following offseason.

A good player to compare Monk to is Seth Curry. Curry wasn’t signing for much but once he finally proved his worth he got a four-year, $32 million contract from the Philadelphia 76ers. The market naturally goes up slightly as the cap goes up, so it is no absurd to think that Monk could get a similar offer or a bit more, even coming in at four years, $36 million.

Nine million per year for four years or 1-2 years for $5.9 million a year? What sounds more appealing?

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