Expect the Lakers to make a strong effort to re-sign Malik Monk, though their financial limitations could open the door for other suitors to pry him from Los Angeles. The franchise would have to use the mid-level exception to retain Monk, though rival clubs will likely have more flexibility.
The Bulls, Cavaliers, Knicks, and Mavericks are among the teams to keep an eye on with regard to their pursuit of Monk, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com hears.
One league executive said that Monk, who has often mentioned he had no offers last summer except the Lakers, will not have that problem again because there figure to be at least four teams in the hunt for Monk this summer, besides L.A.
“The team to watch, if he is going to leave the Lakers which he obviously should, is the Knicks,” the GM said. “They had interest in him last year, and some of it might depend on what happens with Evan Fournier, do they keep him or move him? But that is a team that needs talent, needs shooters and Monk will be a good value even at the mid-level.”
Monk, who was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2017 draft by Charlotte, inked a one-year deal with the Lakers last summer. The guard scored 13.8 points in 28.1 minutes per game during the 2021-22 campaign.
State of the Cavaliers: John Mayer Edition
In case you missed it, we examined the state of every team remaining in postseason contention through the lens of John Mayer songs in our 2022 NBA Playoff Preview. For the Cavaliers, “Love on the Weekend” was the selection.
“(The Cavaliers) went searching for franchise pillars over the past 14 months and found several matches, the most inspiring of which is 2021 No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley. Cleveland is still in the honeymoon phase with their young core so much so that there are rumors that the front office wouldn’t make a trade for LBJ if the 4-time MVP desired to return to The Land. That could ultimately end up being foolish but for now, this club is young, naive, and simply enjoying the time they have left together this season.”
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