Monk (knee) intends to sign a four-year, $78 million deal with the Kings, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Monk continues to recover from a knee injury, but that hasn't stopped him from reaching an agreement with the Kings. The sharpshooter averaged career-high marks in points (15.4) and assists (5.1) per game en route to finishing second in the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award voting. Even though Monk was expected to be a sought-after player in the open market, instead, he chose to sign with the Kings and is expected to make the deal official once the league year begins July 1.
Monk (knee) has not re-commenced running amid his ongoing recovery from an MCL sprain, and he "doesn't know if a first-round return is a realistic goal," per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Sacramento must defeat Golden State on Tuesday to unlock a first-round opportunity, but Monk appears to be multiple recovery steps away from returning to game action. Behind superstar De'Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell have absorbed work in a shorthanded backcourt.
Monk has been diagnosed with a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Monk will miss the rest of the regular season, but depending on how quickly he recovers, he could be available at some point in the postseason if Sacramento is able to advance out of the Play-In Tournament. In the meantime, Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell could be asked to soak up more minutes in the backcourt. Monk will finish the regular season with averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 three-pointers in 26.0 minutes per game over 72 appearances.
