According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, there are concerns that Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk may have injured his right knee, possibly a sprained MCL.
Monk got hurt during Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. He has played in 72 games for the Kings this season. He’s averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 44.3% from the field, 35.0% from three-point range, and 82.9% from the free-throw line.
The Kings lost to the Mavericks, bringing their season record to 42-31. They currently hold the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings.
In an interview with NBA reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Monk expressed his desire to stay with the Kings next season. He becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
“Depends on what we do in the postseason, as well,” Monk said. “But I’d love to be here, man. Got comfortable here. Made a lot of new friends, and met a lot of great people. The city loves me. I love the city. So, yeah, I’d love to come back.”
Monk signed a two-year, $19.4 million contract with the Kings in the summer of 2022. He has performed well beyond expectations and is expected to receive a higher salary offer this offseason.
“I feel like the organization needed a turnaround,” Monk said. “I feel like they needed new faces here. I feel like I could bring an energy that Sac had been waiting for since (DeMarcus Cousins) left. And my homie is here, my best friend, Fox. This was going to be the most comfortable fit for me.
Because leaving Los Angeles, a big city, coming here slows everything down. Slow pace. Now I can just focus on my craft. It’s been working for me.”
“He’s extremely important to what we’re trying to build,” Kings head coach Mike Brown said. “There’s zero question in my head. We 100 percent want him back. He’s the player he is mainly because of him. But I also feel that you have to be in situations that can help get the most out of you.
And I feel like this situation that he has here, the sky’s the limit. We’re only going to get better, and he has had a lot to do with the growth of this franchise.”
