The first day of free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers was spent bringing in older veterans, all of whom coincidentally had previously played for the franchise. But there were questions as to whether the Lakers were getting too old and needed to bring in some young players as well.
One option that had not been linked to the Lakers but offered an interesting buy low possibility was Malik Monk. The young guard is a known scorer who improved his three-point shooting last season and would seem to still have the potential to grow into a much better player.
With all of the veterans brought in already, the Lakers are finally bringing in some young legs, agreeing to a deal with Monk according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Free agent G Malik Monk has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 3, 2021
Again the Lakers are straying more towards the offensive side of the ball with a free agent signing. Coming out of Kentucky, Monk was a pure bucket getter but struggled to find his footing in Charlotte amongst the glut of guards on the roster.
The Lakers will surely have some competition in the backcourt as well, but Monk brings the ability to provide instant offense to the team in a way that perhaps no one else can. He is more than capable of getting his own shot and knocked down 40.1% of his shots from three-point range last season. And playing off of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook should only increase his open looks.
Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office have focused almost primarily on bringing in a number of wings who all provide a different skill set. Monk is the latest addition to that group, hoping to get right back to the championship level they were at two seasons ago.
Lakers agree to one-year deal with Carmelo Anthony
Just minutes before it was announced that Monk was joining the Lakers, news came down of another expected signing as Carmelo Anthony agreed to a one-year deal with the team. There was long-rumored interest between the two sides, and now it finally looks to be official.
Anthony was reportedly weighing his options between the Lakers and Knicks but ultimately decided to join his good friend LeBron James in Los Angeles in hopes of winning his first NBA Championship.