Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk has seemingly fell out of the rotation after playing less than five minutes in the team’s 125-124 win against the Houston Rockets.
Before that in back-to-back losses versus the Portland Trail Blazers, Monk did not play as part of a coach’s decision on Dec. 18 and 20.
Kings head coach Doug Christie told reporters following the Houston game, where he logged 4 minutes and 50 seconds, that he told Monk he appreciates him for ‘being a pro’ regarding his frustration about not playing.
‘That’s part of what it is to be a part of a team and a good teammate. It was big time for him,’ Christie said. ‘It was five minutes, but they were a really good five minutes that we needed and he supplied it.’
Monk, an eight-year NBA veteran who’s in his fourth season with Sacramento, is averaging 12.5 points in 23 minutes per game, the lowest scoring output in his Kings tenure. In five minutes against the Rockets, he scored two points.
He told The Sacramento Bee in an interview that he is ‘1,000% confused’ at the recent change in his playing time.
‘It’s not my job to try to figure out why I’m not playing because I deem myself more than the whole,’ he said. ‘So I’ll just be ready when my name is called. I’ve been in the league long enough where I don’t let this stuff get to me. Everybody knows I want to be out there, especially playing in front of this crowd in Sac, but there ain’t (expletive) I can do about it.”
Given the recent turn of events, combined with the Kings 7-22 record, there could be signs that Monk is out the door.
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Malik Monk rumors: Could Malik Monk be traded?
Monk could be in some of his final days suiting up as a Sacramento King.
According to senior NBA insider Chris Haynes, Monk has been available for trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Kings trade rumors
With their lackluster start to the season and a boatload of veteran contracts, the Kings plan to offload many contracts via trades. Monk, who is owed $18 million this year and $41.7 million through 2028, isn’t the only one.
So far, rumors have swirled that Sacramento could also be looking to depart from veteran players such as Zach LaVine. DeMar DeRozan, a Compton-native, has drawn interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, according to The Athletic. And although teams have expressed interest in Kings forward-center Domantas Sabonis, he remains committed and plans to stay in Sacramento.
Another player whose name has been thrown into trade talks is fourth-year guard Keon Ellis. Ellis is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent looking for a big payday in the summer of 2026.