The Sacramento Kings have been one of the best teams in the West for the past two seasons, largely due to De’Aaron Fox‘s scoring ability and Domantas Sabonis‘ ability to be a fulcrum for their offense. Nonetheless, Malik Monk has been a major factor in their recent success. In the two seasons he’s been with the Kings, Monk has been a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Last season, he finished fifth in voting. This season, he’s the favorite to win the award, averaging career-highs of 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
As a result, Monk’s looming free agency decision could be pivotal for the Kings.
Malik Monk Would ‘Love’ to Re-Sign with West Contender
Spending his first four seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, who took him with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Monk didn’t extend his rookie contract as most players do. Wanting to be with a winning organization, similar to his choice to play for Kentucky, Monk signed a one-year minimum contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 offseason. After averaging 13.8 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting from 3 with L.A., Monk was able to leverage his performance into a two-year, $19.4 million contract with the Kings in the 2022 offseason.
Sacramento finished with a 30-52 record in 2021-22. However, the organization took several steps to become a playoff contender in 2022. Before the 2021-22 trade deadline, Sacramento traded Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton to the Indiana Pacers for a more fitting piece in Sabonis. In the offseason, they signed longtime coach Mike Brown, who coached LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaking to HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto, Sabonis says. “We better keep [Monk].”
“I think there’s no excuse,” Sabonis continues. “I’ll talk to Monte (McNair) and Vivek (Ranadivé). We’ve got to keep him. He’s a big piece for us moving forward.”
Brown is on board with Monk re-signing as well.
“It’s just as easy to see how important Malik is for our organization,” Brown says.
“He is loved by his teammates, the organization, and the city. Hopefully, his free agency won’t last too long and he’ll be a King long term!”
When Monk chose to sign with the Kings, the money being offered was one of the primary factors in his decision. However, his friendship with Fox also motivated him to sign with Sacramento. Now, Monk is friends with everyone in the organization, making it much easier to re-sign.
“I’m comfortable in Sacramento,” Monk explains. “I’d love to play here again, for sure. I’ve been here for two years and made friends with everyone, including the training staff and front office. I’d love to be back here.”
The Kings will have his Early Bird right and can sign him for up to 175 percent of his current salary, a figure close to the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. Monk will likely do his due diligence and see what teams are willing to offer in terms of salary and role. Nonetheless, the Kings have a legitimate shot at keeping Monk for a few more seasons.
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