For the better part of a year, the Sacramento Kings have been bound and determined to trade Malik Monk. Well, the trade winds are changing in Sacramento with rumors now indicating that the franchise plans on keeping their Sixth Man of the Year candidate. That would be smart basketball.
Malik Monk's name has been constantly brought up in Jonathan Kuminga talks for months. But I got an interesting note this morning:
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) January 15, 2026
Going back to the summer, the Sacramento Kings were pretty eager to try and move Monk & his contract.
As of now, that's changed. A source tells me…
After the turmoil of the 2024-2025 season, the Kings' lacked any sort of identity or direction. They knew something needed to change, but really didn't seem to know what it was or where to start. So, the Kings started looking at trades, knowing they needed to lose some of their bigger contracts.
Over the offseason, Sacramento didn't make any substantial moves, though there was constant talk about some players. A big one was Malik Monk, arguably one of the best bench players in the league and an explosive scorer with the ability to change the flow and tone of the game.
It also doesn't hurt that Monk is absolutely a fan favorite in Sactown. That made the Kings' attempts to trade him even harder to swallow, partially because it didn't make much sense. He's a reliable player with a reasonable contract. It seems like the Kings have finally come to the same conclusion.
The Kings may be stepping back from trading Malik Monk
For several games, Monk found himself getting limited minutes, if not being outright benched for no reason. Everyone was confused, particularly Malik. Doug Christie blamed the logjam at the guard position, but it was more likely that Kings were trying to trade him and didn't want to waste minutes.
SHEEEESH LIK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TdE5XW1FCo
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) January 15, 2026
Suddenly, that changed and Monk was back in the game. Over the last three victories, Malik has collected 50 points, eight rebounds, 14 assists, two blocks, and one steal. His shooting has also been amazing. In the win over the Lakers, he went seven for nine from the three-point line.
After these performances, trading him has become an even more questionable decision than it already was. Rumors from the Kings' front office seem to indicate they are now planning on retaining Monk's services, and are no longer actively looking to trade him.
This is, of course, assuming this isn't all trade season posturing on the part of the Kings. Either way, Monk is a reliable bench presence. If the Kings keep him, which they should, they will absolutely benefit from him being there. If Sacramento trades him, another team will benefit.