The Orlando Magic can fix their biggest issue if they reignite their pursuit of Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk.
The Orlando Magic must enter the 2025 offseason with a clear directive in mind: Improve the team's three-point shooting and general backcourt scoring proficiency. A healthy Jalen Suggs should help in the latter regard, but Orlando's lack of reliable guard play proved devastating in 2024-25.
Thankfully, the Magic have a way to rectify the issue and take steps toward turning a weakness into a strength: Trading for Malik Monk.
Monk is a somewhat polarizing player given his high-volume style of play and the low level of efficiency he produced in 2024-25. In saying that, he's a proven commodity with the skill set and production to offset the Magic's primary issues.
According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Magic were interested in Monk, presumably for those reasons, before he opted to re-sign with the Kings in 2024.
"The Magic were also said to be interested in Malik Monk last summer before the Kentucky product re-signed with the Kings."
That in no way confirms that Orlando will be pursuing Monk this summer, but as they look for paths to improvement, a trade would certainly offer reason for intrigue.
Orlando Magic must rekindle pursuit of Malik Monk
Monk finished the 2024-25 regular season averaging 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made per game. He shot just 32.5 percent from beyond the arc, but the upside for Orlando is that his inefficiency was an outlier rather than an expected development.
Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, Monk shot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc while attempting 5.5 shots from distance per game.
Monk's sharp decline in 2024-25 can be at least partially attributed to Sacramento bringing in pieces that seemed to directly conflict with his style of play. That includes DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who require extensive isolation opportunities from the perimeter.
Despite that fact, Monk embraced a higher level of responsibility as a playmaker, showcasing his willingness to contribute to the team however he's asked to.
Monk's value as a passer would certainly help a Magic team that has overburdened forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner with creating for others. It wouldn't resolve the need for a point guard, but it would certainly alleviate some of the playmaking burden from Orlando's top two scorers.
Considering Orlando ranked dead last in the NBA in both assists and three-point field goals made, adding Monk would instantly improve its odds of addressing two devastating flaws.
Malik Monk can give Orlando the scoring guard they're lacking
Even with a healthy Suggs, the Magic have a glaring lack of reliable backcourt options as far as consistent offense is concerned. Cole Anthony is productive on a per-36 level, but the mere 18.4 minutes per game he averaged in 2024-25 can't be overlooked.
Monk, meanwhile, is a proven scorer who averaged 24.1 minutes per game between 2022-23 and 2023-24, when the Kings won a combined 94 games.
Furthermore, Monk averaged 31.6 minutes per game during the 2024-25 regular season. Sacramento may have finished a loss below .500 at 40-42, but it was 36-29 when Monk played—proof positive of his impact on winning.
It's also worth noting that the Kings outscored opponents by 2.5 points per 100 possessions with Monk on the court in 2024-25, but were outscored by 1.8 when he wasn't.
By adding Monk to the rotation, the Magic would be bringing in a net-positive guard who has increased his scoring average in consecutive seasons. That includes the 17.2 points per game he posted in 2024-25, which would've ranked No. 1 amongst Orlando's guards.
Monk, 27, will now enter his prime with an average of 20.8 points per 36 minutes over the past three seasons and the perfect skill set to elevate Orlando. A trade must be pursued.