It’s no secret the Houston Rockets are looking for guard depth.
Ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, Houston’s biggest weakness is at the guard position. Despite sophomore guard Reed Sheppard’s encouraging breakout this year after a disappointing rookie season, it wouldn’t hurt the Rockets to address that weakness at the deadline.
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Malik Monk could be a trade target
While he’s not the perfect target for the Rockets, Sacramento’s Malik Monk could help address some of Houston’s guard issues. Monk, who’s currently in his fourth season with the Kings and in his ninth season as a pro, is reportedly available ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
Monk profiles as more of a scorer than a playmaker, which is more the archetype that Houston would most benefit from. That being said, the Rockets have limited cap flexibility, and Monk is a realistic option that wouldn’t cost too much to trade for.
In Houston’s recent overtime loss to the Kings, Monk played a season-low four minutes after falling out of the rotation. With Sacramento actively shopping Monk, it shouldn’t take much for the Rockets to trade for him. Dorian Finney-Smith and backup center Clint Capela, two of Houston’s summer signings, could be enough to swing a deal if draft compensation is added.
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Monk’s numbers across the board are the lowest they’ve been over his four seasons in Sacramento, but he’s shot an efficient 41.4% from deep this year and still been productive in limited minutes. Last year, Monk averaged 17.2 points and 5.6 assists across 65 games on 54.9% true shooting from the field.
If the three-point shot translates and Monk can provide some secondary playmaking off the bench, trading for him could be a risk worth taking for a Rockets team trying to win now.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Should Rockets look into acquiring available Kings guard Malik Monk?