2. Malik Monk
Malik Monk revived his career during his two seasons with the Sacramento Kings, emerging as one of the best bench players in the league. The shooting guard is a dynamic scorer from all three levels, a true competitor, and a good playmaker who could easily start on a competitive NBA team.
While he has been a huge part of the Kings’ identity during his time there, he will be a free agent this summer, and his price tag has increased significantly. For the Magic, that would be no problem, however. They have more money available than the Kings and might be able to lure him away from Sacramento.
During the 2023-24 regular season, Monk only shot 35 percent from three, but he has shown during his career that he can be better than that, and teams respect him beyond the arc.
Besides, Monk brings some other interesting qualities to the table, mainly his playmaking skills. The 26-year-old has come a long way as a playmaker and passer, averaging 5.1 assists for the season.
The Magic could really use someone like that in the backcourt with Jalen Suggs. If you have a star-level player like Paolo Banchero on the wing, you obviously want to give him the ball as much as possible. At this point in his young career, it might be wise to have someone else, who can initiate some offense and set others up around. Monk may not be a true point guard but he has proven that he can do just that.
Plus, Monk is a walking bucket. Too often this season, we have watched the Magic struggle to get anything going offensively. Monk can create offense out of nothing.
One concern is that the guard is not necessarily a great defender. The Magic have the personnel to mask any of his shortcomings on that end of the floor, however, and Monk is a competitor who will never back down from a challenge.