NBA
Report: ‘Mutual Interest’ Between Kings, Malik Monk
Jun 30, 2022, 8:48 AM
(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
On the heels of the Sacramento Kings’ decision to let guard Donte DiVincenzo enter unrestricted free agency, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report has indicated that there is mutual interest between the organization and shooting guard Malik Monk.
During NBA insider Marc Stein’s ‘Spotify Live’ broadcast on Wednesday night, Fischer reported that there is mutual interest between the Kings and Monk, adding that the 24-year-old is looking for a contract in the mid-level exception range ($10 million annually).
.@TheSteinLine asks @JakeLFischer about Malik Monk: He has has heard that Monk could go back to the Lakers for the midlevel right now, but Monk is looking for better offers. One team to watch, with mutual interest: Sacramento Kings
— Daman Rangoola (@damanr) June 30, 2022
Monk, a former college teammate of Kings guard De’Aaron Fox at Kentucky, enjoyed a breakout season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22.
Over 76 games, Monk averaged career-highs across the board: 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.8 steals per game. The 6’3 guard also shot a career-best 47 percent from the field to go along with a very efficient 39 percent rate from beyond the three-point stripe.
Monk is expected to get plenty of interest on the market, with the shallow-pocketed Lakers surely expected to make an effort to retain the sharpshooter.
After deciding to not give DiVincenzo a qualifying offer, Kings general manager Monte McNair will be in the market for help at the shooting guard position. While Monk is certainly an option, expect Sacramento to be linked to other players in the coming days as free agency opens up at 3:00 pm PST.
