Kings Reportedly Shopping Two Guards in Trade Talks

Monk just finished his third season with the Kings and started a significant number of games for just the second time in his 8-year career. The increase in playing time (a career-high 31.6 minutes per game) allowed Monk to set career-high per-game averages across the board: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Monk is under contract for the next two seasons and has a player option for the 2027-2028 season.

Carter began his rookie season on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but returned to action in early January. Carter played just 11 minutes per game in his 36 appearances for Sacramento, but showed promise as a ball handler and playmaker, potential to be a high-level defender, and exhibited explosive athleticism. Carter is still on his rookie deal, so the Kings have him under contract at a team-friendly salary for the next three seasons.

One would expect other teams to have interest in both players. Monk is an attractive option for teams looking to add a scorer who can also run the offense for stretches. His contract is reasonable and, despite the perception that Monk has been around forever, he is only 27 years old. 

Carter offers teams an intriguing opportunity to take a chance on a young player with upside who won’t break the bank. The jury is out as to whether Carter is a true point guard in the NBA, but he has shown enough in limited time on the court to garner interest from several teams.

This report on Monk and Carter comes in addition to previous reports that Sacramento has also put out feelers to other front offices regarding their trio of established stars: Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. Rival executives anticipate at least one of the three to be moved this summer. If not, it is widely believed that the Kings will look to trade one -or more- of the trio at the trade deadline next season.

Aside from getting out from underneath large contracts with multiple years left on them, one goal Sacramento is rumored to be trying to accomplish is the acquisition of a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The Kings have reportedly told agents that they expect to be drafting somewhere in the 20s on Wednesday, but would need to swing a deal soon in order to make that happen.

With multiple offseason objectives laid out by GM Scott Perry, including bringing in a true point guard, adding length and athleticism, and bolstering the team’s depth, there are any number of directions the Kings can go this summer. No matter what happens, from a fan’s perspective it is refreshing to at least see Sacramento involved in the rumors and reports, not seemingly not willing to just stand pat and run it back next season.