Malik Monk could have waited to see if a cap space team offered more money or a starting role. Instead, he has chosen to stay in Sacramento.
Monk has agreed to a four-year, $78 million contract extension to stay in Sacramento, a story broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The fourth year is a player option.
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 NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year runner-up. pic.twitter.com/J8KuOwPl0H
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 21, 2024
That’s the max the Kings could offer him. They were limited due to having only his Early Bird rights, and Monk had said after the season if another team came in with a larger offer and the promise of a starting role, he’d have to consider it (Orlando loomed as a possibility). However, ultimately he decided he’d be happier in Sacramento.
Monk has grown into one of the league’s top bench players while in Sacramento. Last season, he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting, averaging 15.4 points and 5.1 assists a night. He’s become a critical part of Mike Brown’s rotation and a trusted playmaker, especially when De’Aaron Fox is on the bench.
Keeping Monk was one of the Kings’ top offseason priorities.
However, Sacramento doesn’t want to just run it back next season — they leaned into continuity last offseason and plateaued in a West that just got tougher. The Kings went 46-36, but that was only good enough for a ninth-place finish and a trip to the play-in (where they knocked out Golden State in a cathartic win for Kings fans but then lost to New Orleans and did not make the playoffs). This summer, the Kings are known to be looking to trade for more shot creation, testing the market for what Harrison Barnes and others might bring back.
Whatever any trades may look like, we know now Monk will be back in Sacramento.
