Sabonis pushes Kings to re-sign surging Sixth Man of the Year candidate

Malik Monk will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season. His production for the Sacramento Kings has seen him emerge as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. As such, many teams will undoubtedly be interested in acquiring the sharpshooter during the summer. 

During a recent interview with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis noted that he will speak with Sacramento's front office to stress the importance of keeping Monk long-term. 

“We better keep him,” Sabonis said. “I think there’s no excuse. I’ll talk to Monte (McNair) and Vivek (Ranadivé). We’ve got to keep him. He’s a big piece for us moving forward.”

Monk recently suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee. The Kings will undoubtedly be hoping that he can return to the rotation in time for the playoffs or before the end of their opening-round matchup. Nevertheless, Monk has been using his additional free time to consider his options for his upcoming free agency.

“I’m comfortable in Sacramento,” Monk told HoopsHype. “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.”

In 72 games this season, Monk is averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He's shooting 44.3% from the field and 35% from three-point range. He's proven himself to be a high-level player off the bench and has been a core part of Sacramento's rotation. 

With Sabonis in his corner, Monk will likely receive a contract offer from Sacramento. However, they will undoubtedly need to contend with other interested teams around the league. Nevertheless, the Kings are a team trending in the right direction. Monk has been a big part of the franchise's recent turnaround. Assuming he can agree with the front office, he will likely opt to remain in Northern California and continue pushing forward with the Beam Team.