There’s a certain amount of risk involved whenever a team signs a player to a veteran’s minimum contract. By nature, a player available for a contract that low has inherent risks that come along with them.
When it comes to Malik Monk, though, the Lakers were about as certain as can be that things would work out in Los Angeles.
Even prior to signing him to a minimum contract this summer, the Lakers had long been attempting to acquire Monk, even willing to give up assets to do so. Revealed in Jovan Buha’s latest profile on Monk for The Athletic, dating back to the 2019-20 season, the Lakers had been in regular contact with the Charlotte Hornets, hoping to trade for Monk and bring him to Los Angeles.