Sacramento Kings Have Been ‘Trying Very Hard’ to Trade Malik Monk

The Sacramento Kings have been “trying very hard” to trade Malik Monk this offseason, but they haven’t found a taker, an NBA source told Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.

Monk will make $18.8 million next season. The Kings offered the shooting guard to the Golden State Warriors for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, but the Warriors declined the offer.

The Kings have been trying to trade Monk to open up a spot for Russell Westbrook, who is an unrestricted free agent. Sacramento wants to sign Westbrook and bring the former NBA MVP off the bench as its sixth man behind Dennis Schröder.

Monk appeared in 65 games for the Kings last season. He averaged 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 43.9% from the field, 32.5% from beyond the arc and 86.5% from the free-throw line.

The 27-year-old Monk has career averages of 12.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks with the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers and Kings. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft out of Kentucky.

Sacramento missed the 2025 playoffs. De’Aaron Fox was traded to the San Antonio Spurs in February in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls. The Kings acquired Zach LaVine from the Bulls.

This offseason, Sacramento acquired Schröder from the Detroit Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal, traded Jonas Valančiūnas to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Šarić and signed Drew Eubanks. The Kings also re-signed Doug McDermott.

After making the playoffs in 2023 for the first time since 2006, the Kings have missed the postseason two years in a row. LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis are the top players in Sacramento at the moment. LaVine and DeRozan were teammates on the Bulls as well.

It will be fascinating to see if Malik Monk is traded before the 2025-26 season begins. The Arkansas native doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract.