Guard Malik Monk reportedly is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency to sign a deal with the Sacramento Kings.
Free agent Malik Monk is finalizing a deal with the Sacramento Kings, sources tell me and @sam_amick.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
This is a major blow to the Lakers’ roster, as Monk had become a key piece of the team’s roster in the 2021-22 season.
Monk had arguably the best season of his career while playing for the Lakers, as he averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Now, Monk will reunite with his college teammate De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento. The two were lottery picks out of the University of Kentucky.
The No. 11 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Monk spent the first four seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. The Lakers will now have to look elsewhere for perimeter scoring in free agency.