NBA free agency: The 5 biggest steals so far this offseason
By Dan Bennett
NBA free agency biggest steals: 4. Malik Monk
The Los Angeles Lakers shocked everybody on draft night when a deal to pair Russell Westbrook with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was agreed with the Wizards. And since then, the team has gone even further to add to the roster in order to put a disappointing last season behind them.
Of all the free agency signings the Lakers have made so far, bringing in Malik Monk jumps out as a real steal.
At 23, he is a lot younger than most of the roster and still has significant untapped potential and room to grow. Last year he made big strides, averaging 11.7 points per game and more impressively, boosting his three-point percentage from 28.4 percent the year before to 40.1 percent.
If Monk can sustain his jump in three-point shooting, given he is on a roster that, despite being extremely talented, has a lack of shooters, then he could prove to play an important role on the team next season and will be a big help in addressing one of the Lakers’ few weaknesses.
It’s a risky move for him, given he has only signed a one-year minimum deal, but for the Lakers, it represents incredible value. Whether starting or coming off the bench, his explosiveness and newfound shooting ability represents incredible value for the deal he signed.