One of the big roster moves on the Sacramento Kings' radar throughout the offseason involved Russell Westbrook. The Kings really wanted to bring in the NBA MVP, All-Star, scoring champion, and assist leader to bolster their roster going into 2025-2026.
Keeping in mind that Russell is an unrestricted free agent, the original plan was apparently to make room for Westbrook by trading Malik Monk. That didn't work out because there were no takers for Monk, which was likely because the Kings didn't like any offers they received.
With training camp about to begin, it's looking less and less likely that Westbrook will be on the Kings. That uncertainty has only grown with rumors of the Houston Rockets interest in Russell. But not adding Westbrook to the roster may have been the best thing possible for the Kings.
Malik Monk is the better fit
No one should ever question the credentials of Russell Westbrook. His list of accomplishments in the NBA is incredibly long and earned through a lot of hard work. The only thing missing is an NBA Championship. At the same time, he is in the later stages of his career, with retirement coming.
Malik Monk, on the other hand, is only 27 and has many years of great basketball left in his career. He may not have Russell's credentials, but he is a regular Sixth Man of the Year candidate. Monk can score, make plays, and provide incredible energy off the bench.
More importantly, Monk is going into his fourth season with Sacramento. This isn't the same Kings he was playing with a year ago, but he can still be an integral part of the rebuild. It never made sense to drop a younger playmaker who is already in the system for a new guy who is on the way out.