There was an unusual silence surrounding Sacramento’s apparent acquisition of Dennis Schroder on Monday after the Kings reportedly reached an agreement with the free agent point guard.
About an hour after free agency began, The Athletic’s Fred Katz reported Schroder “will agree to sign with the Sacramento Kings,” but there was no confirmation from Schroder, agent Mark Bartelstein or other journalists.
A possible explanation emerged Monday evening when NBA insider Jake Fischer reported the Kings and Detroit Pistons could be working on a sign-and-trade deal that would send Malik Monk to Detroit in exchange for Schroder.
“An emerging option for the Pistons, sources say, is Detroit trading for Kings guard Malik Monk,” Fischer tweeted. “Sounds like there’s a chance this deal, if agreed to, could turn into a sign-and-trade that brings Dennis Schroder to Sacramento.”
The Kings are expected to sign Schroder to a two-year contract worth about $28 million using the $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. The midlevel exception is a spending tool that allows teams to sign free agents even if they are over the salary cap.
Using the midlevel exception to sign Schroder would hard-cap the Kings at the first apron, which is $195.9 million. They will not be able to exceed that amount for any reason, including trades or additional signings.
Monk is entering the second year of the four-year, $78 million contract he signed last summer. He is owed $18.8 million next season. The Kings, who are projected to be well over the $154.6 million salary cap, could reduce their payroll by about $5 million in a straight swap involving Schroder and Monk.
Schroder, 31, will likely take over as Sacramento’s starting point guard after the Kings traded De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in February. He will join a lineup that features Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis, although additional changes are possible.
Schroder is a 12-year NBA veteran who has played for nine teams. He was traded twice last season, going from the Brooklyn Nets to the Golden State Warriors before finishing the season with the Detroit Pistons.
Schroder averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 0.9 steals last season, shooting 40.6% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range. Schroder is a strong defender, known for his hustle, quickness, active hands and ability to pressure ball handlers.
Monk, 27, has played a key role for the Kings since signing with Sacramento in 2022. He was runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year in 2023 after helping the Kings end their 16-year playoff drought.
Monk averaged career highs of 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists last season. He shot 43.9% from the field and 32.5% from 3-point range. The Kings tried to make Monk their starting point guard after trading De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in February, but that was a failed experiment.
At this stage in their careers, Monk is the younger and more dynamic player, but Schroder would fill Sacramento’s need at the point guard position while alleviating the logjam at shooting guard.