As the Sacramento Kings continue to make changes to their roster and bring in new, young talent, veterans will inevitably get pushed to the side. One veteran who could still be important to the Kings is Malik Monk, someone who could prove to be an important mentor to many rookies.
At this point in the game, everyone knows that the Kings have no shortage of guards, particularly shooting guards. In addition to Monk, Sacramento has Zach LaVine, Nique Clifford, Emanuel Sharp, Daeqwon Plowden, and Adam Flagler. It's a crowded position, to say the least.
That will start changing when LaVine likely leaves the roster at the end of the 2026-2027 season at the latest. Until then, LaVine will remain the the starter with five players on the roster looking to pick up minutes, which could be a problem for Monk in particular as the roster continues to evolve.
Throughout the 2025-2026 season, the Kings seems confused about how Monk fit into the rotation. There would be periods that he was a healthy scratch several games in a row, then would suddenly get big minutes. But there is a way that Monk fits into this increasingly young group.
Monk can fill a key mentor role for Sacramento
The Kings have already let DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook walk away. They are also moving towards ending the tenures of both LaVine and Domantas Sabonis. It's a necessary part of the process as the Kings' rebuild moves towards the future, but there is a downside.
Specifically, the Kings will lose on-court veteran mentors to the young guns they're trying to develop. Having assistant and development coaches who help with that is important, but it's not the same as being on the court with Westbrook as he teaches a rookie everything he knows about the game.
That's why Monk could continue to be important to Sacramento. After LaVine likely departs, that leaves Monk with three young shooting guards in Clifford, Sharp, and Plowden. Flagler will probably end up spending more time as a backup point guard for Darius Acuff Jr. He needs someone.
Monk is a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate and a great shooting guard. He will be key to the development of these three players growing into their role at the two. Even if Monk isn't getting the minutes he used to, he could still play a major role in the rebuild as a veteran mentor.
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