Kings’ Malik Monk Out 4-6 Weeks With Knee Injury

According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk has suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

Monk, who was injured after Luka Doncic landed on his knee in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday (3/29), will likely need the Kings to advance in the Western Conference playoffs to return this season.

ESPN Sources: Sacramento Kings G Malik Monk has suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks. Monk — who’s had a career-best season — needs a Kings run in the Western Conference playoffs to return this season. pic.twitter.com/5Q3isJ0U1N

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 30, 2024

Monk has appeared 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 floor, 35.0% from beyond the arc and 82.9% from the foul line. 

The Kings lost to the Mavericks, dropping to 42-31 on the season. They are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings. 

In an interview with NBA reporter Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Monk said he would “love” to re-sign with the Kings this offseason. The Kentucky product, who began his career with the Charlotte Hornets and has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The Kings signed Monk to a two-year, $19.4 million contract in the offseason of 2022. Monk has outplayed his contract and will command more money this summer.

“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 here. 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.”