The Sacramento Kings checked off a very large box on their offseason to-do list Thursday via a deal with key rotation player Malik Monk.
The runner-up for the 2024 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award plans to sign a four-year, $78 million deal that includes a player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
ESPN Sources: Free agent G Malik Monk intends to sign a four-year, $78 million deal including a player option to return to the Sacramento Kings. Monk had career-bests of 15 points and five assists on his way to the NBAs Sixth Man of the Year runner-up. pic.twitter.com/J8KuOwPl0H
Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2024
Monk joined the Kings in 2022 after one season with the Los Angeles Lakers and saw his game take a step forward. Along with a full season of Domantas Sabonis and the addition of head coach Mike Brown, the Kings reached new heights in 2023 by breaking a 16-year playoff drought.
Last season was less successful, even though Monk had a career year with personal bests in points and assists per game. The Kings were relegated to the play-in, where they defeated the Golden State Warriors then had their season ended by the New Orleans Pelicans.
Monk came up just short of the Sixth Man of the Year Award, with winner Naz Reid receiving only two more first place votes than him.
Monk was easily the Kings’ most important pending free agent, and with a new deal for Brown, they are fully primed to bring back every major contributor to the team. The question now is if that’s a good plan, as the team will have no shortage of competition in the West next year after finishing ninth in the conference last year.