One of the major topics of conversation over the summer among Kings' fans was Sacramento's attempts to trade Malik Monk. This was part of the strategies to bring in Russell Westbrook and Jonathan Kuminga, neither of which has borne fruit.
Many pundits and analysts have speculated that these efforts might harm the relationship between the front office and Monk. It can be hard for players to know that they are trade fodder. But during the Sacramento Kings' media day, Malik tried to stress that everything is all good.
Monk is staying professional
When asked about the trade rumors, Malik made sure to keep things professional and positive. He's taken the stance that a thing isn't a thing until it's a thing, so there's no point in getting bent out of shape about it. That's definitely the adult way to look at the situation.
Malik Monk says he wasn’t fazed by the offseason trade chatter.
— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) September 29, 2025
“If my agent don’t call me and say anything, it’s not going to happen.”
Adds that the new front office is building a “family oriented” relationship with this group.
The Kings are the third NBA team Monk has played for since he was drafted in 2017. At this point in his career, he is well aware of how the business side of the game works and that almost anyone can be traded at any time. That was certainly reinforced by Maverick's surprise Luka Doncic move.
Everything might not be so happy in Sacramento
Again, Malik Monk is a veteran player and chose to keep things professional. There's no sense in airing dirty laundry on media day. At the same time, that can have a dual meaning. Saying everything is okay often doesn't mean that everything is okay, so things could change suddenly.
Monk's current contract runs through 2027-2028 with a player option in the same year. Unless something drastic happens, Malik is on the Sacramento option for at least 2025-2026 and 2026-2027. It will be interesting to see how things play out over the next two seasons.