The way the NBA's current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is structured makes it so that certain players cannot be traded for a specific period of time after signing a new deal.
Today, Wednesday, January 15, marks the day when free agents from last offseason who signed a contract with their own team for more than 20% from their previous contract can now be traded. That means that 18 players who couldn't be included in a trade before today now can be and that 96% of players in the NBA are currently trade eligible.
Trade restrictions have been lifted for the below 18 players.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 15, 2025
96% of the league is now trade eligible.
Brooklyn: Nicolas Claxton
Charlotte: Miles Bridges
Chicago: Patrick Williams
Indiana: Obi Toppin
LA Lakers: Max Christie
Memphis: Scotty Pippen Jr.
Miami: Haywood…
For the Sacramento Kings, the only player on their roster who fits this criteria is their beloved combo guard, Malik Monk. This offseason, Monk brought cheers all across the city of Sacramento after agreeing to a four-year, 78 million dollar extension. Now, if the Kings so choose, Monk can be included in any trades the team may be planning on participating in during this upcoming trade deadline.
Will the Sacramento Kings trade Malik Monk?
Given how well the Monk has played this season (averaging a career high 17.2 PPG and 5.4 APG) and how much he is adored by this city and his teammates, it seems highly unlikely that the Kings will move on from Monk any time soon.
However, as I mentioned in a hypothetical trade post a few months back, it could be worth exploring. As I've said multiple times before, the Kings have a roster imbalance. They have too much on-ball creation and not enough shooting and size (as the Milwaukee Bucks were so kind to point out).
To remedy this issue, the Kings will likely need to trade one of Monk, De'Aaron Fox, and DeMar DeRozan. Monk is the only one of those players who has never been named to an All-Star team. So, the team may view him as the most easily disposable.
However, Monk is a better spacer than both Fox and DeRozan (he has the highest career 3-point percentage). So, it may be better to keep him and trade one of them for the pieces you need since Monk can give you on-ball creation (like Fox and DeRozan) and some perimeter spacing on top of that.
Based on reporting around the Kings, it seems like none of those players will be available for a trade and that the Kings are looking for a more marginal move involving Kevin Huerter/Trey Lyles rather than one that significantly changes the face of the roster. Still, a potential Monk trade is worth pondering over.