Malik Monk was one of their biggest assets to the Lakers lineup during the 2021-22 season, especially when players like Lebron James were injured. Malik Monk had a great season with LA and made a big impact. However, will he be with the Lakers next season?
The Lakers, at the moment, can only offer Monk Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac.com, Monk will want more than what LA can offer.
"Don’t expect the Lakers to get any sort of steal with Malik Monk this offseason. He’s one of the best shooters available and at just 24 years old, Monk will likely command more than LA can offer him."
Malik Monk was a superstar for the Lakers. He averaged 13.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. It was important that the Lakers had someone who could offer that kind of support. Although, LA may need to find that support somewhere else.
The Lakers front office also has some other roster moves to worry about. Smith continued and talked about the rest of the free agents.
"As for the rest of the roster…whew boy there is work to do. The Lakers have a league-high 13 free agents. Kendrick Nunn will almost definitely opt in for $5.25 million for next season. He didn’t play at all last season, and he won’t find that sort of value in free agency. LA will guarantee Austin Reaves, as he was a nice find on the undrafted market. And they’ll probably pick up team options for Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel. Both are solid roster-fillers on team-friendly contracts."
Although the Lakers roster may look a little different next year, some players will continue to put in the work for LA. Something else fans can be prepared for is that the "big three," which includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, will most likely stay the same next year.
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