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Kings' Guard Emerges as Raptors' Backup Plan if Kevin Durant Pursuit Fails

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 1:12 AM ET

With the NBA offseason quickly approaching, the Sacramento Kings are expect to have a busy summer ahead of them.

Sacramento is coming off another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs after they were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament by the Dallas Mavericks.

This came after a season full of change that saw the Kings fire head coach Mike Brown and trade away star point guard De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline.

Change has continued to be a theme for Sacramento entering the offseason as they named Doug Christie as their new head coach and hired Scott Perry as their new general manager after moving on from Monte McNair.

Those are unlikely to be the only moves the Kings make this summer as they could elect to move on from key pieces of their roster, including one of their stars in Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine, along with Malik Monk.

One team who has been linked to a potential Monk trade is the Toronto Raptors as ClutchPoints’ Kris Pursiainen reported that he is Toronto’s backup plan if they are unable to land Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns in the offseason.

“If a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant doesn't end up happening, league sources tell ClutchPoints they have other targets in mind,” Pursiainen wrote. “The Raptors have demonstrated interest in acquiring Kings guard Malik Monk in a potential trade, with that interest dating back at least to February's trade deadline.”

The Toronto Raptors are expected to show interest in Malik Monk if they fail to land Kevin Durant, per @krispursiainen

“If a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Kevin Durant doesn't end up happening, league sources tell ClutchPoints they have other targets in mind. The Raptors have… pic.twitter.com/84hWOSrQ8H
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 17, 2025

Monk would be a great addition to the Raptors, or any other contending team as he has proven to be one of the best sixth men in the NBA and can also have an impact in the starting rotation.

The 27-year-old guard is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per game, which has increased his trade value, which is a great thing for the Kings if they elect to move him.

While Monk may be the Raptors’ backup plan, Sacramento may elect to keep him or another team could offer a better package for the star sixth man this summer.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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