Story: Kentucky reunion? ‘Mutual hobby’ between Monk, Kings at the starting up looked on NBC Sports Bayarea
Might maybe maybe the Kings reunite the dynamic 2016-17 Kentucky Wildcats backcourt of Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox?
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Story reported Wednesday night, citing sources, that there’s mutual hobby within the Kings signing Monk as free agency is determined to formally launch up at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Monk, who signed a one-year previous minimal take care of the Los Angeles Lakers final season, posted a career-simplest numbers in 2021-22 and is due for a lift. Primarily the most he can signal with the Lakers is the group’s taxpayer mid-stage exception, valued around $6.3 million.
At age 24, the No. 11 overall buy of the 2017 NBA Draft would possibly presumably maybe very successfully be having a peep to money in.
“He with out a doubt is buying for more, pretty more,” Fischer reported on a Spotify Are residing chat with fellow reporter Rate Stein. “The numbers I’ve heard are between $8 million and $12 million, which the taxpayer is at $6 million.
“The one group I heard — I’m no longer announcing that is a carried out deal or it’s going to happen, it’s a in fact completely different distress than LA — but I heard there’s mutual hobby. The one group I’ve heard to ogle out for him no longer to pass to the Lakers is the Sacramento Kings.”
Sacramento has its estimated $10.3 million mid-stage exception available, and would possibly presumably maybe toss all or share of it at Monk to entice him to Golden 1 Center.
In 76 games final season, his first with the Lakers, Monk averaged 13.8 components, 3.4 rebounds and a pair of.9 assists per game. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Monk lacks defensive presence — a huge need for the Kings — but he has seriously improved as a 3-level shooter. Monk drained 3s at a 32.2 p.c clip over his first three seasons but jumped to 40.1 p.c and 39.1 p.c the final two campaigns.
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Fox and Monk spent their lone collegiate seasons at Kentucky together, starring in coach John Calipari’s backcourt. That season, Kentucky went 32-6 and evolved to the Elite Eight before falling to North Carolina. Monk used to be Kentucky’s leading scorer with a median of 19.8 components per game and Fox used to be 2d on the group with 16.7 components per contest.
That duo would with out a doubt maintain up the highlight reels once again if reunited in Sacramento.