2. The San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are not winning a lot of games right now, but they have one of the future greats on their roster. Victor Wembanyama came into the league as one of the best NBA prospects ever and is already showing signs of a future that holds plenty of Defensive Player of the Year and MVP awards.
For such a young player, he is incredibly competitive and aware of his potential. He wants to win, and the Spurs have to build a team around him that will allow him to do that. The most important part of that is having a capable ball handler around him at all times.
Early in the season, the Spurs experimented with Jeremy Sochan at the point guard spot. It did not work out, and things looked much better once Tre Jones stepped into the starting lineup.
Malik Monk may not be a traditional point guard, but he is a talented playmaker and at his best when playing with talented bigs. Can you imagine a Wembanyama-Monk pick-and-roll? Defenses would stand no chance.
The Spurs have plenty of cap space to improve the roster but might not want to bring in a huge name that would take away too many touches from the young core. Monk could be a solid option to add scoring and playmaking to the developing squad.
The Spurs could have more money to offer than the Kings, and playing with a generational talent under one of the best coaches in the game certainly has its appeal. Plus, San Antonio would be well-equipped to cover any of Monk’s defensive shortcomings.