The Sacramento Kings have too many scorers who can’t defend. Right now, their four best players are all scoring maestros who leave a lot to be desired on the other end of the floor. That’s partly why the Kings' trade rumors have Malik Monk on the trade block.
Monk has been a staple of the Kings for the last few seasons, but with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan on the roster, his skills become a lot more expendable. The Kings have been actively trying to trade Monk this offseason, but with no luck yet.
SB Nation’s Jacob Rude created a Kings-Lakers trade that could benefit both teams.
“Kings get: Gabe Vincent, Maxi Kleber, lottery protected 2031 first round pick
Lakers get: Monk
This is a fully “hear me out” type of trade, I’m aware. On this Lakers team, Monk might not be worth giving up a first round pick for, even if it’s lottery protected.
However, from a value perspective, it makes sense. Sacramento bizarrely spent a portion of the offseason trying to trade away Monk for all sorts of downgrades or to create space to sign more guards, to no success. Truly, it’s hard to fathom what the Kings are doing.”
Would this be enough for a Lakers-Malik Monk trade? Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber don’t do much for the Kings' roster. They aren’t going to make a huge difference as far as winning now and neither project to improve greatly over the next few seasons.
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This Monk trade idea would be all about the pick. Getting off Monk for a first-round pick sounds nice, but the lottery protection makes it less interesting. Still, the Kings would need to consider this Lakers-Malik Monk trade. Getting more picks, lottery-protected or otherwise, is something they need to start doing to secure a better future.
More NBA: Kings predicted to cut ties with 6x All-Star, picks in trade for $285 million star