The Kings had two big extensions to deal with this summer and the files Mike Brown And Malik Monk were completed in June by the franchise. Negotiations regarding the coach's extension were however complicated, unlike those of the sixth man.
Malik Monk was expected to leave for a bigger salary than the Kings, but he ultimately stayed in California. The player who is considered one of the best sixth men in the league preferred to bet on continuity and the environment of Sacramento, rather than take a bigger check elsewhere.
“I feel at home here,” he explains. “It seemed like the right thing to do. It all fit. Everywhere I go, I feel comfortable. No matter where I go, I feel good, and that’s what home feels like to me, so I’m back.”
Quick negotiations
The future of the rear was quickly fixed, to allow the Kings to have all the cards in hand. Malik Monk thus reached an agreement with the franchise ten days before the “free agency” and four days before the first round of the Draft, leaving the possibility for the “front office” to study all the options for the coming season.
“I am a player who serves the team,” continues like this the back. “I could have taken my check elsewhere, but I felt at home here. Informing the organization as soon as possible was the least we could do, of course, because we need a few more pieces and they are looking for them.”
It must be said that Malik Monk has proven that he is important in Sacramento. However, everything was not rosy during his adventure with the Hornets, far from it. The former Kentucky player did not particularly shine with his professionalism and was even suspended after an anti-doping test. He had relaunched one season with the Lakers, then Malik Monk had settled with the Kings to confirm. And this will be the case for (at least) a few more years.
“Through those ups and downs, I discovered how to be a man, how to become an NBA player and how to become a better person too.”adds the sixth man. “My brother helped me a lot with that. My mother helped me a lot with that. Coming here to Sac also helped me a lot, that’s why I came back.”
| Malik Monk | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | CHA | 63 | 14 | 36.0 | 34.2 | 84.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.7 |
| 2018-19 | CHA | 73 | 17 | 38.7 | 33.0 | 88.2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 9.0 |
| 2019-20 | CHA | 55 | 21 | 43.4 | 28.4 | 82.0 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 10.3 |
| 2020-21 | CHA | 42 | 21 | 43.4 | 40.1 | 81.9 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 11.7 |
| 2021-22 | LAL | 76 | 28 | 47.3 | 39.1 | 79.5 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 13.8 |
| 2022-23 | BAG | 77 | 22 | 44.8 | 35.9 | 88.9 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 13.5 |
| 2023-24 | BAG | 72 | 26 | 44.3 | 35.0 | 82.9 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 15.4 |
| Total | 458 | 22 | 43.3 | 35.5 | 84.4 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 11.6 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
