Report: Malik Monk set to return to Kings on new four-year contract

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Expect the unexpected.

The build up to the upcoming NBA Draft and free agency period got a lot less complicated Thursday night, when according to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sacramento Kings received a commitment from their top free agent in Malik Monk. 

In a surprise move, Monk passed on the free agent process, choosing to remain in Sacramento on a new four-year, $78.4 million contract. This is the maximum the Kings were allowed to offer Monk due to his status as an “Early Bird” free agent.

The final year of the contract includes a player option according to Wojnarowski, giving Monk flexibility down the road. 

After toiling in Charlotte for four seasons to start his career and then a brief stop in Los Angeles with the Lakers, Monk found a home in Sacramento playing alongside college teammate De’Aaron Fox. The duo have helped the Kings post back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. 

Related: Malik Monk, the Sacramento Kings and a complicated few weeks ahead

Monk was the favorite to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year trophy last season, but a late season injury cost him the final nine games of the year and Naz Reid of the Timberwolves was able to sneak in and steal the award. 

In his second season with the Kings, Monk posted a career-best 15.4 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range. He is a dynamic playmaker and spark plug off the bench, but his return to Sacramento was in question after another strong season and the team’s limited ability to match outside offers.

Monk can’t officially sign on the dotted line until after the NBA’s moratorium is lifted on July 6, but it appears the Kings have retained one of their top scorers and playmakers. They can now move on to the heavy lifting of the draft, free agency and trades.

Timing is everything

With the draft less than a week away, the Kings have now answered not one, but two major questions. The team retained head coach Mike Brown on a new three-year contract extension in early June. With Monk committed, the pathway is clear for general manager Monte McNair to reshape the remainder of the roster. 

Instead of scouring the league for a new sixth man to try and replace Monk’s productivity or using the No. 13 overall pick to address the position, the Kings can focus their assets on adding depth and talent at areas of need. 

Monk could have waited until the opening of free agency on June 30th to test the waters and make his decision. That was well within his rights. By committing to Sacramento now, he helps clear a pathway for the next phase of the Kings’ build. Sacramento has a four man core in Fox, Monk, Keegan Muray and Domantas Sabonis all under contract moving forward, and assets to improve key parts of the roster. 

The fact that they know this now and not two weeks from now allows McNair to be aggressive at a crucial moment of the offseason.

Why Monk matters

The Kings have been searching for leadership for years. Monk isn’t a rah-rah guy. He also isn’t the team’s best player. But he is a purveyor of good vibes and his ability to make people laugh is infectious. 

In his second season in Sacramento, Monk not only became a fan favorite, but he found a way to be the glue guy the Kings have been missing. His absence in the final nine games may have cost the Kings a higher seeding in the play-in tournament. When he missed the play-in tournament, the Kings had very little chance of advancing.

In addition to leadership and spirit, Monk is also a tie that further binds Fox to the Kings. The two have incredible on-court chemistry, but also a bond that dates back for years. 

Fox is eligible for an extension this summer, although it is more advantageous for him to wait until next year. The Kings’ star guard has made no indication that he would like to leave Sacramento, but having one of his best friends locked up for the next three to four years can’t hurt the franchise’s chances of another long term commitment.

A diamond in the rough

The Kings haven’t had a lot of luck with free agency since they moved to Sacramento before the 1985-86 season. The argument could be made that Vlade Divac is still the best free agent signing in the Sacramento era, but Monk may have a chance to challenge that claim.

Monk worked to rebuild his value as a player during his lone season with the Lakers, but he has earned and taken advantage of the opportunity in his last two years with the Kings. Maybe Monk would have become this same player elsewhere, but McNair and his staff deserve credit for bringing in a quality player on a two-year, $19 million contract who is now set to sign a new $78 million contract. 

Brown and his staff also deserve some applause for putting Monk in a position to succeed and allowing him the latitude to be himself both on and off the court. 

Sacramento has tried to develop players like this in the past and had very little luck. Monk is a special player and a special personality who found the right home at the right time in his career.