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Malik Monk Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers Future

Malik Monk Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers Future

The Los Angeles Lakers added Malik Monk this past offseason with the expectation that he would play an integral role on a championship contender.

While the team didn’t live up to its end of the bargain, Monk has been one of the lone bright spots on the roster.

Monk, who is currently on a one-year deal, is averaging a career-high 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting nearly 47 percent from the field and almost 40 percent from beyond the arc.

This week, Monk got brutally honest about his Lakers future.

“Right now, looking over this pretty-ass city, I’ll take that in, soak that in,” Monk said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Anything can happen, man. So I try to take in every little thing.”

It’s a foregone conclusion that Monk will command way more than the $1.7 million he’s getting from LA this season next year. Whether or not the front office will be willing to pay up remains to be seen.

Recent history suggests the answer is probably no.

In the past, the Lakers could get away with underpaying because they offered players the opportunity to win a title. That is clearly no longer the case.

Monk obviously had some notable off-the-court issues in years past, but he seems to be over them now. And he is playing as good of basketball as he ever has in his career.

Will the Lakers ultimately be able to bring Monk back next year? Time will tell.

Related: Kristaps Porzingis Gets Brutally Honest About New York

Charles Kruger

Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7's go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
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