NBA Free Agency: Is Kings' Malik Monk a 'Dream Fit' for Magic?

Bleacher Report plays matchmaker, pairing free agents with an ideal team. Malik Monk, one of the NBA's best sixth men, is imagined as the Orlando Magic's new point guard.

Nathaniel Marrero | May 30, 2024

Mar 23, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) shoots the ball against Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second quarter at KIA Center. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO — Since joining the Sacramento Kings in 2022, Malik Monk has become one of the NBA's best sixth men.

Could he be ready to prove himself elsewhere as a starter?

With free agency looming at the end of June, Bleacher Report broke down a dream signing for each team and had Monk as the free-agent fit for the Orlando Magic.

"The Orlando Magic are in great financial shape moving forward, as most of their core players are still on rookie-scale deals," Bleacher Report writes. "They could create more than $66 million in cap space this offseason, which should be more than enough to add a dynamic guard like Monk to the mix. A new starting backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Monk would feature a nice blend of offense and defense. Monk could give Orlando a scoring boost after it finished 22nd in offensive rating this past season."

Monk had the best year of his career and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Minnesota Timberwolves forward Naz Reid. Monk, 26, averaged a career-best 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game, and he shot 52.8 percent from the field, including 35 percent on his 3-point attempts.

With a tandem of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on the wings, it's easy to imagine Monk continuing his ascension. The Magic, which ranked 23rd in points per game (110.5) and 28th in assists per game (24.7), could use Monk's scoring and passing.

One concern could be Monk's limited experience as a starter. Of his 458 career regular season games, he has 38 starts. He would also be without a pair of All-NBA players in De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, who have been instrumental in Monk's instant offense off the bench.

If Orlando can remain among the NBA's elite defenses, it doesn't need much of a boost on offense to enter the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Monk can provide that and appears to only be getting better as a shooter and a facilitator.

The negotiating period for free agency begins on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, with signings becoming official on July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET.

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