Kings Swap Monk for Franchise PG in Bold Trade Proposal with Raptors

That leaves Jonas Valanciunas as the salary-matching contract, who the Raptors could either flip for another player or assets, or keep as a backup to Jakob Poeltl. Valanciunas excelled in his backup role with the Kings last season. Between his time with the Kings and Wizards, he averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 55% shooting from the field.

But the bigger get for the Raptors would be Monk, who averaged 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds on 43.9% shooting from the field and 32.5% from three last season for the Kings while stepping into the starting role.

At a glance, he and Quickley are similar players, as Quickley averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds on 42.0% from the field and 37.8% from three. The numbers are nearly identical, but Quickley gets the nod for his three-point shooting, which could be crucial in Doug Christie's offensive scheme.

Quickley is a combo guard similar to Monk, but gets a slight edge when it comes to defense. He had a defensive rating of 110.7 last season, compared to 114.5 for Monk. He and Keon Ellis could form a solid defensive duo at the guard position for the Kings for years to come, while both being able to knock down the three at a high clip, which is a recipe for success in today's NBA.

The other benefit of swapping Monk for Quickley is that he's under contract for the next four years, compared to two years with a third-year player option for Monk. For the Raptors, the swap would save them money in the long run, as they have big-money contracts in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. It's also possible that draft picks may be needed from either team to even out the deal.

Malik Monk is one of the Kings' biggest trade chips, and sending him out for a player so similar to him that makes more money is risky, but Scott Perry was the GM who originally drafted Quickley in New York. If he wants to reshape the roster to his vision, bringing in someone he trusts to run the ship at the point guard position feels like a strong way to start that transition.