By Anthony Slater, Sam Amick and Mark Puleo
Malik Monk will likely be staying in Sacramento. The high-scoring reserve is predicted to signal a brand new four-year contract price $78 million, league sources confirmed, the utmost allowable contract the Kings may provide him, incentivized with a participant choice on the ultimate season.
Listed below are the per-year greenback quantities on his new deal.
- 2024-25- $17.4 million
- 2025-26- $18.8 million
- 2026-27- $20.2 million
- 2027-28- $21.6 million (participant choice)
Monk was the runner-up for the 2024 Sixth Man of the 12 months Award after averaging a career-high 15.4 factors per sport in 72 contests off the bench for Sacramento. His power off the bench was essential for the Kings, who went 46-39 and fell within the Play-In Match.
Monk additionally thrived as a distributor in 2023-24, averaging a career-high 5.1 assists per sport and rating among the many high of the league in assists per drive.
After being drafted by Charlotte in 2017 after which spending one 12 months with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22, Monk arrived in Sacramento needing a recent begin in 2022 and instantly discovered success as a bench sparkplug. He completed fifth in Sixth Man of the 12 months voting and eleventh in Most Improved Participant voting in 2022-23.
Sacramento signed Monk to a two-year, $19.4 million contract in 2022, he contract he shortly outplayed.
After serving to the Kings snap their lengthy playoff drought in 2023, Monk’s season in 2024 ended on a bitter be aware as he missed the ultimate month of the season, together with the group’s Play-In Match video games, with a sprained proper MCL.
“I can go someplace else with much more cash and be in a worse state of affairs,” Monk stated after the season when requested about doubtlessly cashing in for an enormous payday. “So that you by no means know. I’ve obtained an excellent agent who’s going to do his job. I believe my job is completed, I did what I wanted to do that 12 months. I believe it’s going to play out the appropriate method.”
Whereas he was managing feelings and seemingly undecided on his future, he answered immediately when requested if he’d wish to be in a Kings jersey subsequent season.
“Undoubtedly,” Monk stated with out a lot hesitation.
Why did this get executed so shortly?
The brand new CBA guidelines allowed the Kings and Monk to start negotiations the day after the finals. It actually was a easy presentation from the Sacramento facet. Due to some monetary restrictions, they had been solely capable of provide him a most of 4 years and $78 million. They incentivized it with a participant choice on the ultimate season, permitting Monk to dip again into free company a bit earlier if his profession trajectory continues to pattern upward.
The Kings put that max provide on the desk and Monk — whose facet has clearly surveyed the free company panorama — determined it was sufficient to lure him again to the Kings, a spot he blossomed and wished to stay. — Anthony Slater, NBA senior author
What does this imply for the Kings?
They bring about again one of many league’s best bench gamers, squarely in his prime (26) and hold collectively what can basically be thought-about the core 4 members of their group: De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray and Monk, who was terrific within the playoffs two seasons in the past and may’ve been sufficient to edge them again into the playoffs in April had he not missed the ultimate stretch of the season with a sprained MCL. The Kings have the thirteenth decide in subsequent week’s draft and common supervisor Monte McNair has expressed an urge for food to presumably use it in a commerce if they’ll improve the roster. — Slater
What does this imply for the free agent market?
It is at all times helpful for the remainder of the incoming free brokers when a participant retreats to his personal group this early within the course of. That retains extra cap area and potential touchdown spots accessible. Monk didn’t go to Orlando or Detroit or San Antonio or wherever else, absorbing accessible cap area.
So this leaves open potential touchdown spots for related gamers in his realm like Klay Thompson, D’Angelo Russell and James Harden. — Slater
Required studying
(Photograph: Justin Ford / Getty Photographs)