A bit of a reach: Malik Monk
The Magic have been connected to Malik Monk for quite some time now, and it makes sense. Monk has grown immensely in Sacramento and has repeatedly said how much he loves playing there. The Kings can only offer him a very specific amount of money, however, and the Magic could easily outbid that to lure him to Orlando.
The Magic desperately need someone who can create his own shot, add a scoring punch to the offense, stretch the floor, and set up his teammates. Monk can do all of that. He is a respected three-point shooter and can attack the rim as well as explode for high-scoring games. Besides that, Monk has also grown immensely as a playmaker, averaging a career-best 5.1 assists per game.
He fits all of the offensive boxes the Magic need to check this offseason. He does not fit the team’s defensive identity, however. The Magic like long and athletic two-way players, but that is something they might just have to deal with to fix their offensive issues.
Orlando should still have enough defense to make up for one weak link. Besides, Sacramento coach Mike Brown already got Monk to put in some more defensive effort in the 2023-24 season. Who knows; he might buy into the Magic’s defensive identity and try even harder.
The real problem with pursuing Monk might be the cost. The 26-year-old guard will not come cheap and plenty of other teams are eying his situation as well. That might drive the price up to a level the Magic are not comfortable paying for just one free agent, especially with extensions for Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner coming up.
So, getting Monk might be a bit of a reach, but it is not impossible at all.
