“They’re paying me $5M more but I’m more comfortable as a Laker”: Malik Monk willing to take a pay cut to continue being LeBron James’ teammate 

Free-agent Malik Monk expresses his wish to stay with the LA Lakers, even willing to take a pay cut from his market value.

Despite having one of the embarrassing seasons in franchise history, the Lakers, continue to be a favorite destination for players. One of the most popular franchises in the NBA, the purple and gold have an iconic legacy. The Lakers are home to the biggest names in the league, both past and present.

Thus there is a reason why every aspiring NBA player dreams of donning the purple and gold. Barring the 2020 Orlando Bubble, the Lakers haven’t enjoyed much success in the past decade. Nonetheless, the LA franchise continues to command power in the trade market.

According to recent reports, Lakers guard Malik Monk has expressed a strong inclination to continue playing for the Lakers, confessing to taking a cut from his salary if required. Though the LA franchise is coming off a poor outing in the 2021-22 season, Monk had his career-best averages.

Also read: “Older Laker guys are yelling at us because it’s our fault”: Malik Monk and Austin Reaves admit to bonding over getting lectured by LeBron James and company for mishaps

Entering free agency, Monk desires to re-sign with the Lakers, admitting to taking a pay cut.

“I could be more comfortable as a Lakers than going to any other team”: Malik Monk on free agency.

While the Lakers ended their 2021-22 campaign sixteen games below +500, Monk put up his career-best numbers, averaging 13.8 PPG on 47.3% shooting from the field, including 39.1% from beyond the arc. The former Hornets player averaged 28.1 MPG during the season.

Coming off his best season so far, Monk addressed his free agency.

“They might not be able to pay me as much as I want,” Monk told The Athletic. “But I could be here and be way more comfortable as a Laker than going to any other team and they’re paying me $5M more. So it’s just me trying to figure out what team would really want me.”

According to reports, Monk could fetch anywhere up to $10-12M in the open market but is willing to take $6.3M from the Lakers. One of the reasons behind Monk’s this gesture is the Lakers being one of the first teams to approach him during last year’s free agency.

Thus this is the former Kentucky guard’s way of paying the franchise back, with the Lakers not having much cap space, considering the salaries LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook are drawing. Nonetheless, Monk has a bigger vision in mind over this short-term current gain.

Playing under the leadership of King James, Monk has the opportunity to gain a lot and make a deep playoff run in the following season if everyone remains healthy.

Also read: “We wanted to snatch Malik Monk away from Charlotte Hornets!”: LeBron James reveals how eager he was to see Monk in a Los Angeles Lakers jersey last season