Since top star joined the Sacramento Kings in the 2022-23 season, the connection was instant. He delivered a breakout year, including a few standout playoff games, and built on that success in 2023-24 by nearly winning Sixth Man of the Year.
To show his gratitude for the unwavering support from Kings fans, he signed a four-year contract extension—one that came in below many expectations—and even gave the team an early heads-up about his decision to stay.
However, his 2024-25 season was inconsistent. While he wasn’t the main reason for the team’s struggles, he didn’t do much to turn things around either. Sadly, what once looked like a perfect match may now be heading toward an unfortunate split.
The main reason the Kings fell short of expectations this season was a lack of roster balance. While there was no shortage of talent, the team was overloaded with scorers and lacked key elements like size, defense, and reliable shooting—a dilemma similar to the one facing the Phoenix Suns and their Big 3.
General manager Scott Perry has acknowledged these shortcomings and expressed a desire to bring in more length, athleticism, and a traditional playmaker to help fill the void left by De’Aaron Fox. Achieving that likely means parting ways with one of the team’s core four: Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, or Domantas Sabonis.
In an ideal scenario, LaVine or DeRozan would be moved. But LaVine’s hefty contract has damaged his trade value, and DeRozan, due to his age and unusual plus-minus stats, won’t fetch much in return—though there may be creative trade options.
Trading Sabonis, the team’s best player, would be counterproductive to a re-tooling effort. That leaves Monk as the most viable trade candidate.
Monk is on a team-friendly deal—earning $17.4 million last season while providing $13.9 million in on-court value, even after missing 17 games. Although he struggled when forced into a starting point guard role, his track record as a top-tier bench contributor remains solid.
Letting Monk go would be tough, but it might be the most logical move for Sacramento’s future.