New York Knicks: 5 restricted free agents to target this offseason

Jul 29, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Keon Johnson (Tennessee) walks off the stage after being selected as the number twenty-one overall pick by the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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New York Knicks (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Restricted free-agent target for the New York Knicks: 3. Malik Monk

Malik Monk has dealt with a lot of adversity and some off-court issues since entering the NBA, but he seemed to turn a corner last season. He didn’t get into any trouble, and despite dealing with nagging injuries and receiving erratic playing time, he had the most productive season of his career.

He has been linked to the Knicks in trade rumors for the last couple of seasons, so it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if Leon Rose reached out to Monk’s representatives for a meeting. Due to the aforementioned off-court concerns, there may not be much of a market for Monk, which would play into the Knicks’ hands and increase the likelihood of signing him to a team-friendly contract.

He averaged 11.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 42 games off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets. And with improved shot selection, he shot 40.1 percent from 3-point land.

He’s only 23 years old and a very talented scorer and 3-point shooter, and signing him could prove to be a low-risk, high-reward move for a Knicks team that desperately needs to add shooting and fortify its bench scoring.

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