5 Players the Sacramento Kings could sign if Malik Monk walks in free agency

Addressing A Different Weakness

There is also a world where the Kings decide to nab Monk's heir apparent in the 2024 NBA Draft (I've heard Jared McCain would be a good option for that). They also could fill the Monk void via a trade (by dangling draft capital and Kevin Huerter/Harrison Barnes).

If that happens, Sacramento can use its Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level to add some more functional size (as we've written about here before). Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Nicolas Batum, Miles Bridges, and Jae'Sean Tate (among others) are all guys that could potentially be had for that 12.9 million dollar figure or less.

In particular, I'm a really big fan of the idea of signing Oubre. With a 7'2 wingspan, Oubre is a terror on the defensive playmaking front, placing in the 78th percentile in steal rate and 70th percentile in block rate among forwards last season.

He's also a jitterbug who boasts some of the best gait in basketball, making him the perfect fit for the Kings' breakneck offensive pace. Plus, he's flashed some on-ball creation juice (something he developed in his time with the Charlotte Hornets). Over the last three years, Oubre has placed in the 76th percentile or higher in scoring volume.

Another sneaky name I like is Tate. He's a good defender with the ability to put the ball on the floor (84th percentile in true shooting on drives, per Thinking Basketball). I think he just got overlooked by the Houston Rockets because they have so many young wings/forwards.

At the end of the day, none of these options are perfect replacements for Monk and the spunk he brings to this team. The Kings need to do whatever it takes to keep him. But they also need to develop a contingency plan in case they can't.