Sacramento Kings coach Doug Christie has fielded a number of questions about Malik Monk in recent days after benching the sparkplug scorer who finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting just two seasons ago.
Christie was presented with a different question following a 136-127 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Earlier in the day, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Monk has been made available in trade talks as Kings general manager Scott Perry looks to reshape Sacramento’s roster ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Christie was asked if he could confirm or deny that the Kings are entertaining offers for Monk.
“That’s a Scotty P. question,” Christie said. “I don’t have anything there, but I love Malik. Always have. What we’re trying to do here is bigger than any one player, two players, anything. We’re trying to set something that is sustainable, and we just changed things up in this particular moment.”
Christie benched Monk when the Kings visited the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, saying Monk was the “odd man out” in a crowded guard rotation when Christie decided to play the defensive-minded Keon Ellis. In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, Monk said he was “1,000%” confused by his coach’s decision after hearing Christie’s public and private explanations.
Christie said Monk for two games before bringing him off the bench for five minutes in the second half of Sunday’s overtime win over the Houston Rockets. In Tuesday’s loss to the Pistons, Christie again turned to Monk, who had nine points, one rebound, one assist and two steals in 14 minutes while going 3 of 8 from the field and 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
“He got back in the game, so nothing personal or anything like that, and I’ve told him that,” Christie said. “Love him to death, but we’re trying to shake things up, and we’re going to find a way to compete at a really high level and play to a particular standard.”
Monk has been a fan favorite and a key member of the Kings’ rotation since signing with Sacramento as a free agent in 2022. He re-signed with Sacramento prior to the 2024-25 season, agreeing to a four-year, $78 million deal with a player option in the final season.
Monk played a big role for the Kings during his first season in Sacramento in 2022-23. He averaged 13.5 points in 77 games to help the Kings earn the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, ending the longest playoff drought in NBA history after 16 consecutive losing seasons.
Monk was the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2023-24 after averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He started 45 of the 65 games he played last season, averaging career highs of 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Monk has appeared in 24 games this season, averaging 12.5 points while shooting 43.7% from the field and a career-best 41.1% from 3-point range.