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Feb 8, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) speaks with teammates guard Keon Ellis (23) and forward Keegan Murray (13) between plays against the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Kings Fan Favorite Might Be Sacramento’s Best Trade Asset

Originally posted on Sacramento Kings on SI
By Will Zimmerle | Last updated May 20, 2025 11:55 AM ET

As the playoffs continue with just four teams remaining, Kings fans and media are left to continue their speculation of what moves Scott Perry will make in his first (full-time) offseason in Sacramento.

The rumors around DeMar DeRozan continue to swirl, as the Kings are reportedly looking at trade options for the six-time All-Star. Some have looked at the possibility of trading Domantas Sabonis, and others are hoping the Kings quickly move on from Zach LaVine, but there is one name who rarely gets mentioned that could be the Kings best trade asset of the offseason: Malik Monk.

Let me preface this with the fact that I believe Monk was the heart and soul of the team last year, not only as the vocal leader of the team, but on the court as well. The Kings were 36-29 when Monk suited up last season, compared to just 4-13 when he sat out.

But the issue isn’t one of talent, it’s one of fit and money. As discussed in the article looking at the Kings need to balance out their roster, Sacramento has a combined $71.1 million on the books next year at the shooting guard position between the quartet of Monk, Zach LaVine, Keon Ellis, and Terence Davis.

The trio of Monk, LaVine, and Ellis is full of talent, but having all three together on the roster creates a logjam of players at the same position. Between LaVine’s money and Ellis’s rise, Monk feels like the most logical player of the three who could get moved.

It would hurt, and feel like the soul of Sacramento is getting ripped out, and Monk was not shy about his desire to stay in Sacramento, but Monk could net serious talent in a trade that few others on the roster could.

Malik Monk's full Sacramento Kings season exit interview:

Takeaways: He's "all-in" here in Sacramento & he feels his best role is as a starting 2 guard. pic.twitter.com/fJ3PIVplWe
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) April 17, 2025

DeRozan is a proven veteran star, but entering his age-36 season, the return the Kings would get for him is realistically less than many people would expect. Monk, though, is 27 years old and in his prime.

With career-highs in both points (17.2) and assists (5.6) last season, he has a unique ability to impact a game with both his scoring and passing. He also has shown his ability to be an effective starter or one of, if not the best, sixth men in the game.

Throw in the fact that he’s on one of the best contracts in the league, making $18.8 million next year, $20.2 million the following, and has a $21.6 million player option for the 2027-28 season, and his trade value only goes up.

All of that makes it an easy pitch for Perry to make to other teams, especially those in need of a scoring punch.

Between the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and even the Cleveland Cavaliers, there are a number of playoff teams that could benefit from plugging Monk into their system.

For the Kings, it only makes sense if they can bring in a player of near equal talent at another position of need, mainly point guard or on the wings.

Every single team in the league is constantly searching for talented wings. For a Kings team that doesn’t have a first-round draft pick or much money in free agency, trading Monk for a wing may be their best option to bring in someone to help Keegan Murray in the frontcourt.

The trade would hurt, but all options have to be on the table after two disappointing seasons in Sacramento. Perry was brought in to make tough decisions, and trading a fan favorite would certainly fit that bill, but it could be the best option for a Kings team in need of change.

This article first appeared on Sacramento Kings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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