The Los Angeles Lakers could bring back Malik Monk after he has recently fallen out of the Kings' rotation. It isn't easy to understand why. Monk is shooting a career-high 41.1 percent from 3-point range in a more off-ball role. Sacramento is loaded with scorers, but Monk is still getting buckets. His contract is a bit problematic, but this could open up a trade Lakers fans would love.
Monk was an absolute bucket on the 2022 Lakers and parlayed that into two contracts with the Kings. It took Los Angeles years to replace him. Teams aren’t valuing reserve bucket-getters like they used to, but Monk's playmaking chops put him in a tier above the straight scorers.
Fans have been dreaming about this scenario since Monk was rumored to be on the trade block in the offseason. The Kings' 7-22 start hasn’t changed that. Head coach Doug Christie recently dropped Monk from the rotation, and Chris Haynes just reported Monk is available. The Lakers could easily bring him back.
Lakers could bring back Malik Monk
The Lakers could pry Monk and Devin Carter out of Sacramento for Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent. This allows the Kings to get off the final three years of Monk’s contract and move on from a failed lottery pick. They have to accept Vando’s final three years, but it saves Sacramento millions each season.
Monk could be the second unit bucket-getter. He would play an even larger role when one of the Lakers' three stars had to miss time. With LeBron soon to be 41 years old, having another scorer to carry the load could be massive.
Carter has shown flashes of strong defense and playmaking. He has struggled to get opportunities in Sacramento, but the 23-year-old could be the perfect second draft target. The 6’2 guard is a bit undersized, but could blossom under Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick into the stout perimeter defender LA needs. To get him for virtually free, as the Kings try to move on, could be game-changing for the Lakers.
They will only be able to steal Carter at virtually no cost if they take on Monk’s long-term money. Fans loved him during his lone season in Los Angeles. They would be even more excited to get the better version back to Hollywood.
Monk is only 27 years old. He would quickly become an important floor spacer and nightmare creator. The Lakers would need his defense to hold up, especially with other question marks on the roster. If it does, Monk makes Los Angeles' elite offense better.
Los Angeles has limited assets, so Rob Pelinka should be looking for a deal like this. It allows the Lakers to dump Vando’s contract and Vincent’s expiring dollars for two rotation pieces. Monk would help solve their shooting woes, and Carter could blossom into the defensive stopper the purple and gold desperately need. This is a risky deal, but one with massive upside if everything falls into place.
The Los Angeles Lakers could bring back Malik Monk for an absolute steal. Sacramento wants to move on, and everyone already knows how he would handle Hollywood. The Lakers certainly have to think about it. Fans would be excited, but all they can do is wait to see what Pelinka has up his sleeve this year.