Domantas Sabonis and NBA fans alike were sure that Malik Monk was going to be on a different team in 2024-25, but he’s coming back for the Kings.
From conversations he had with Monk during the season, Sabonis was sure that the guard was leaving.
“I was actually very surprised,” Sabonis said, via Brenden Nunes). “I was talking to him a lot during the year and I thought we really lost him, but I’m happy he stayed. I think it’s the best decision for him and for us.”
Monk is without a doubt one of the most important players for the Kings’ future success. He signed a four-year, $78 million contract with Sacramento in July.
Sabonis was asked about the paycut Monk took to stay with the team and he joked that Monk stayed so he could keep being teammates with the center.
“I just think he didn’t want to leave me, that’s the main thing,” Sabonis said. “I’m happy he’s here. He’s one of the most important players on our team. Having him on and off the court with us has helped us a lot these last three years.”
Monk finished second in NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award voting last season, after averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 26 minutes per game.
One offseason move the Kings did make was signing six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan in a three-team sign-and-trade deal with the Spurs and Bulls.
Sabonis spoke about how excited he is to have DeRozan as a new teammate and admitted he was getting a little fed up by the team’s lack of action over the summer before then.
“Excited, at that point, nothing was falling through, so [I was] getting a bit frustrated,” Sabonis said. “Happy he’s here, and then, getting to spend that week with him in L.A., getting to know him more, you know. I’m really excited.”
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