Although Bradley Beal's unfortunate hip injury has led the LA Clippers to an obvious realization that Norman Powell's expertise was not worth trading, the front office cannot live in the past and must address the future. Thus, a trade should be orchestrated, and the player who would certainly not disappoint, as Beal did, is Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings.
Years ago, when Sacramento was at its peak as one of the best teams in the Western Conference, with Mike Brown's infectious energy as head coach, Monk was living his best life with college teammate De'Aaron Fox.
But since that season, the Kings' momentum has faded, and the Fox-Monk duo has been split, with the San Antonio Spurs adding the one-time All-Star to their squad.
That said, because Monk's contract is fair, and the Kings may be interested in trading him for someone that fits their veteran scheme, the Clippers could easily match their price and land the former 11th overall pick.
Malik Monk is the scorer the LA Clippers currently need
As he is next to two scoring wings in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, who went from being teammates on the Chicago Bulls to the Sacramento Kings, Malik Monk may feel like a larger role is calling his name on a team he has not played for.
Even though his points are lower this season than in the last two, he has been most productive over the last ten games, averaging 12.8 points and 2.2 assists, shooting 48.5% from the field and 46.5% from distance.
Additionally, the overcrowded guard rotation in Sacramento, of LaVine, Keon Ellis, Dennis Schröder, and Russell Westbrook, could be why the Kings might be open to parting ways with Monk.
It would cost the Clippers Bogdan Bogdanovic, one of the younger pieces, and maybe a pick, but at the end of the day, Monk would be the perfect replacement for Bradley Beal in the starting lineup.
His numbers on the Clippers would look better, and so would his minutes. Because he is receiving just a little over $20 million annually, Lawrence Frank may want to keep him long term, as his player-option is not until the 2027-28 regular season.
That said, Monk has the game and age the Clippers desire, making him the perfect shooting guard on the market to come in and do Beal's job, helping James Harden in the backcourt through high-volume scoring and extra playmaking.