JULY 6, 1:37pm: Monk’s new deal with the Kings is now official, according to a press release from the team.
“Malik Monk is an elite shooter, fierce competitor and tremendous athlete,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to have him join us in Sacramento.”
JUNE 30, 5:37pm: Monk will sign a two-year, $19MM contract with the Kings, reports Damian Barling of ESPN 1320 (Twitter link).
JUNE 30, 4:07pm: “There is a lot of smoke” about Malik Monk signing with the Kings once free agency opens at 5:00pm CT, multiple sources tell James Ham of ESPN 1320 and The Kings Beat (Twitter link).
Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee hears similarly, reporting (via Twitter) that he’s getting “strong indications” from sources that Monk could be reuniting with former Kentucky teammate De’Aaron Fox. Monk and Fox were both lottery picks in 2017.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report was the first to link Monk to the Kings on a Spotify Live appearance with Marc Stein late Wednesday night.
Monk struggled to find a team last summer after the Hornets didn’t tender him a qualifying offer, but became one of the best values in the league on a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Lakers. Monk had a career-year last season, averaging 13.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG and 2.9 APG on .473/.391/.795 shooting in 76 games (37 starts, 28.1 MPG).
L.A. only holds Non-Bird rights on Monk and will be limited to a contract that starts at the taxpayer mid-level exception, which is projected to be $6.5MM next season.
The Kings could offer Monk the mid-level exception, projected to be worth about $10.5MM next season, for as many as four years. There’s also a possibility that Sacramento could open up some cap space to sign him outright, depending on if the team makes some trades and releases some of their cap holds.
Monk, 24, is reportedly looking for a role where he can receive significant minutes and “be himself,” as he recently told Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
LeBron demands a trade now
LoL Fox and Monk the next Jason Williams and Doug Christie? Could be interesting
Yeah how did that turnout?
Fox Monk Barnes Murray Sabonis
Mitchell Davis Holiday Lyles Holmes
Not bad
Not horrible…..not quite playoff caliber. Progress tho!
If Murray has a good rookie year I can def see them making the play in tourney
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
They’ll win about the same number of games as the lakers
Called this first, spoke it into existence
Yes, it’s netween Simmons>Ross and Jake Fisher of Bleacher report.
Actually I think you were earlier, about a week ago.
Luke, prizes?
I came here to say that. Good call. Holliday was awful for them, to be honest, so they really needed his floor spacing and scoring off the bench
Good to see Fox and Monk back together. He will really spread the floor for the kings. With the West being a shark tank, I think this can potentially get the kings into a play in spot.
I am definitely on the Kings team this year. Fox/Monk was the last great Kentucky team. Now if we could only find a way to get Bam.
Lol not even in anyone’s dreams
As a LAL fan, sad to see Malik go. Really nice player. Great shooter. Great dunks. Good luck in SAC.
Bad defender though…all the same good luck to him
Having both Nunn and Monk is redundant since both of them are undersized scoring guards
Yeah, both of you guys are right. But he was so cool to watch…kkk.
Not a single post claiming it’s tampering. 37 minutes into FA period, and we get a “will sign” (not a plans to sign).
Lakers get the L again. Monk was one of the shining lights for them
They needed shooting at the guard spot after losing Hield, and Divincenzo. They have Holiday, but they needed the depth there. They also really need to keep Jeremy Lamb behind Barnes on the wing/maybe add another piece there if they can
What was that poster’s name who liked Monk so much and we all laughed because he was busting?
Anyway, vindicated.
It wasnt that he was the only one who liked Monk…its that he acted like he was a max salary player. I cant remember who though. I have a few names in mind, but i can’t say for sure if its 1 of them