Malik Monk
The Sacramento Kings season has been a very odd one. The team has done a whole lot of losing, while seemingly not prioritizing player development. Veterans have eaten large chunks of minutes, and the team was 88-30 through their first 38 games.
One thing that has changed of late, was a suspension to guard Dennis Schroder. In his absence, a star from previous years that had found himself out of the rotation, is breaking through again.
In a game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night, Malik Monk hit two clutch fourth-quarter threes, finishing the day with 15 points in 26 minutes of action. He also delivered a mammoth second-quarter jam.
The team has been rumored to be trying to move Monk since the end of last season, and if that’s the plan, seeing him play like this should have teams salivating. This is a scoring guard that has proven for four years in Sacramento that he can do this.
Malik Monk Powering Kings to Wins
Not only did the Kings beat Houston, but they beat the Los Angeles Lakers by 12 points the very next night. And in this one, Malik Monk poured in 26 points and eight assists in 32 minutes of action off the bench.
The Kentucky product knocked down seven threes, showing he can absolutely still get after it. As a first-time starter in Sacramento a season ago, Monk showed more playmaking ability with his five assists per game average.
With the ball in his hands more, he showed that he can still facilitate like that. It also appears that in the past couple of games, Sacramento has been moving the ball a whole lot better. Good scoring balance helped lead to the surprising win, with DeMar DeRozan scoring 32, Russell Westbrook 22, and Zach LaVine 19.
Any winning streak a team can have over the course of a season, they will gladly take. The Kings were able to snap a seven-game skid with back-to-back beam lightings at home.
Don’t look now, but we’re seeing some real improvement of late from the Kings.
Malik Monk Trade Value On the Rise
There isn’t really a world where the Kings don’t attempt to make a ton of different trades over the next three weeks. They are stocked with veterans, and near the bottom of the NBA standings.
Any of these players could be on the move for the right price, and the roster is going to be very different, quite soon. Among those of course, is Malik Monk. After going from limited minutes and not being in the rotation, he has been reinvigorated of late.
Dennis Schroder being out of the lineup has led to him being used more like he was in past seasons. The German point guard being a ball-dominant player can sometimes limit touches over the course of a game. Not that he hasn’t had his own great performances, but the sentiment remains.
Monk is making $18 million this year, and is due another $20 million a year from now. He possesses a player-option for 2027-28, so whichever team opts to pull the trigger on a move will get at least 1.5 seasons of the guard.
Wherever he lands, he probably won’t be taking any more DNP’s. Monk will be ready to go, and he’s going to make a difference on a playoff team. Just wait.