Insider Links Western Conference Guard as Potential Pistons Target

Looking ahead to the offseason, the Detroit Pistons are in a position to be a major player. Things have lined up nicely for them to completely reshape their roster before next season. They’re slated to have one of the top picks in the 2024 draft, and they’ll have close to $60 million in cap space.

With this sizable amount of cap space, Detroit will likely be connected to a handful of players as free agency gets closer. During a recent episode of the HoopsHype podcast, Michael Scotto and James Edwards tossed out a handful of possible names. Among the players brought up was Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk.

“They needed to add 3-point shooting and did so at the deadline with Simone Fontecchio,” Edwards said. “I think there’s no question he’s back next year, regardless of who’s running the show. He checked a lot of boxes. They have to go out and get more 3-point shooters. Malik Monk is someone I wouldn’t be surprised if they target in free agency.”

Over the past few years, Monk has established himself as one of the top reserve guards in the league. He played in 72 games for the Kings this season and averaged 15.4 PPG and 5.1 APG. Monk is also an effective three-point shooter, shooting roughly 36% for his career.

From a fit perspective, Monk is the kind of guard the Pistons need. He is capable of being the lead guard for the second unit when Cade Cunningham is on the bench. The guard combination of Monk and Marcus Sasser also provides a lot of outside shooting.

With his complementary skill set, Monk is an ideal target for the Pistons as they attempt to add pieces around their core.