The Sacramento Kings may have gotten utterly stomped by the Warriors, but it was nice to see Malik Monk on the floor. At the same time, it was odd to see him play as Doug Christie rarely lets him off the bench. It could be that the Kings wanted a potential trade partner to see Monk play.
There is no doubt that the Kings have a logjam at the guard positions. Counting two-way contracts, ten of Sacramento's 18 players are classified as guards or guard-forwards. Some of them can play both shooting guard and point guard, while others are only really suited for one of the two positions.
What this has led to is reduced minutes and usage for some guards, particularly Malik Monk. One of the Kings' most reliable bench players, Malik's last time on the court was the first game of 2026 against the Celtics. It wasn't a good showing for him, but he only played a total of six minutes.
Last night's loss to the Warriors was better. Monk spent 19 minutes on the court, shot four for 10 from the field, and finished the game with eight points, two rebounds, and one assist. The weird part was seeing him on the court at all since Christie has been against playing Monk.
The Kings really want to trade Malik Monk
Doug Christie has stated that the reason Monk's minutes have been sporadic at best is the logjam at guard. That could be true, and likely is. But it's not the only reason. The Kings have been trying to trade Monk since the offseason, and have been leaving him out due to having no plans for him.
Sacramento wants Jonathan Kuminga, while Golden State wants him gone. Again, this has been going on since the offseason. The Warriors and Kings couldn't come to terms, so nothing ever came of the conversations, and Kuminga stayed where he was. Monk was also part of that potential trade.
There are plenty of people who believe that Christie isn't using Monk because he doesn't know how much longer Malik will be on the team. Given that scenario and the fact that the Warriors are a likely trade partner, Monk may have played last night simply to show the Warriors he still has game.
A trade involving Kuminga and Monk is more likely than ever, though it may involve multiple teams for it all to work out. Regardless, Malik continuing to get regular minutes under Christie is highly improbable. Well, unless it's against an interested team like the Lakers, Bucks, or Magic.