Malik Monk was reportedly on his way out of Sacramento as the Kings were actively looking to trade him away to make space for unrestricted free agent Russell Westbrook.
It looks like Kings GM Scott Perry and Head Coach Doug Christie were both in on adding Westbrook as the sixth man on the roster. But now it seems they have changed course a little, and even though they still want Westbrook to come to Sacramento, they are not going to trade away Monk to accomplish that.
“The Kings have maintained an interest in Russell Westbrook, sources say. They have indeed explored the possibility of creating a backcourt opening for Westbrook by other means rather than dealing Monk,” revealed NBA Insider Marc Stein on the Stein Line.
Earlier, it was reported that the Kings were uninterested in having Monk and Westbrook both on the roster since they already have Dennis Schroder and Zach LaVine in their backcourt.
Schroder joined the Kings this offseason as following their ninth seed finish in the Western Conference, the Kings rejigged a massive part of their roster. Kings are even confident that they will be able to sign both Jonathan Kuminga and Russell Westbrook as the Warriors continue to lose leverage with each passing day.
The Kings wanted to get rid of Monk initially due to the logjam of talent in the backcourt. But the front office seems to have realized the value that Monk brings to the table.
The athletic guard elevated from a bench player to a starter when he joined the Kings. In 2025-25, he averaged 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 65 games, of which he started 45 games.
At age 36, turning 37 this year, Russell Westbrook is far from his glory days with the Thunder. Not a lot of teams are reportedly interested in signing him at this juncture in his career. Only three teams seem like potential landing spots, including the Kings. The Bucks and the Bulls could both use Westbrook off the bench.
The 9x NBA All-Star declined his player option for 2025-26 with the Nuggets to try out free agency. He’s been on three different teams in the last four seasons, showing glimpses of his old self here and there.
Last season with the Nuggets, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. He took up the veteran-minimum deal and even accepted the role of the secondary ball handler, providing a flow to the Denver offense, and even showed promise as a starter.
His numbers as a starter for the Nuggets were even more impressive as the former league MVP posted 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists with an improved field goal percentage of 53.4.
Westbrook has shown that he’s still capable of providing serious value to any offense and that he’s a mature version of the athletic phenom that graced the basketball courts with consistent triple-doubles. He doesn’t need to be like that anymore, as he can add serious value in other ways and especially in the locker room.
Yes, he won’t post those massive numbers anymore, but he will guide and mentor younger players while also showing them that he’s still got it, so it isn’t like he’s a has-been. He pretty much still is a highly notable scorer in the league, which explains why the Kings are so interested in signing him as their sixth man.
