Malik Monk has agreed to stay with the Sacramento Kings on a four-year, $78 million contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
This was the max contract the Kings could offer Monk with his early Bird rights. It is a big deal that Monk signed before even testing free agency, as he could’ve been offered $100 million by other teams and it’s likely someone would’ve gone higher than Sacramento. Orlando would’ve made sense from a scoring need and financial standpoint.
Here’s how Monk’s contract breaks down annually.
Monk, who finished as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up to Naz Reid after averaging a career high 15.4 points and 5.1 assists this season, is an electric scorer for the Kings and has clearly found a home he was not interested in leaving even with more money likely available.
It’s been quite the rise for Monk over the last two years in Sacramento after he was only able to command the veteran’s minimum salary with the Lakers the summer of 2021. He played well for the Lakers, and has broken out with the Kings.
Last season, Monk led all bench players in total points and assists and was one of only two players in the past 25 years to have 1,000 points and 300 assists as a reserve, according to ESPN Stats. He also carded the highest assist percentage on drives among all players. He punctures defenses in multiple ways, even as a high-flying lob finisher from the guard position.
For the Kings, this checks off their biggest internal box and allows them to focus on free agency and the draft (they have the No. 13 pick) knowing that Monk is on board on a pretty team-friendly deal. Monk can officially sign the contract with Sacramento on July 6.
