While we have looked at some of the biggest names in the trade market, including Ja Morant and Michael Porter Jr., there are other avenues Bucks GM Jon Horst could pursue to improve the Bucks this season and beyond. They could look for role players instead of stars, or several players, rather than bringing in one big piece. In this article, I have the Bucks targeting Malik Monk from the Sacramento Kings.

Malik Monk, 6’3”, 200lbs. combo guard

Season averages: 12.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG, .446/.421/.859

Monk was a highly sought-after guard coming out of the University of Kentucky, selected no. 11 overall by the Hornets in the loaded 2017 NBA draft. His time there didn’t go as planned, averaging just 9.1 PPG over four seasons, shooting 40.3% from the field. With those numbers, Charlotte opted not to tender him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, so he signed a vet minimum deal with the Lakers in the 2021 offseason. Monk had a breakout season, playing in 76 games (starting 37) and averaging 13.8 PPG. That led him to sign a two-year deal with the Kings, where he’s been ever since. In four seasons, he’s finished top five in Sixth Man of the Year voting twice and had a career year in scoring last season at 17.2 PPG.

Despite the transformation Monk has undergone since arriving in Sacramento in 2022, this season has been a mixed bag. On one hand, his shooting numbers have gone up to 45% from the field (43.9% in ‘24–25) and 42.7% from three-point range (32.5%). On the other, his minutes and shot attempts have shrunk under head coach Doug Christie. He’s down to just 22 minutes (31.6 in ‘24–25), 9.8 field goal attempts (14.5), and 4.6 three-point attempts per game (6.6).
There was even a stretch where Monk was getting DNP coaches’ decisions, including three of the first four games in January. Monk has been more of a fixture in the rotation since then, averaging 24.8 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 3.4 APG, and 2.1 RPG over his last 10 games. His assist percentage is down to 16.1% (34th percentile per Cleaning the Glass), but Monk finished at 24.7% last season (95th percentile).

Before Monk even set foot on the court this season, there were reports that Sacramento was shopping him, floating him in a potential deal for the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga. Those talks didn’t go anywhere, as the Warriors had no interest in him. It’s clear, though, that the Kings are willing to move off of Monk’s deal, which only has a guaranteed year left after this season and then a team option in 2027–28. The Bucks have been linked to Monk several times, including reports from ESPN and, most recently, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype back on January 16:

“Portis and another unidentified minimum-salary player have also come up in talks with the Sacramento Kings in exploratory conversations involving Keon Ellis and Malik Monk, league sources told HoopsHype. Milwaukee has eyed scoring help, which Monk could theoretically provide, and Ellis has been on their radar as well.“

I did toy with the idea of making it a two-for-two deal by trading for both Monk and Keon Ellis for Bobby and Andre Jackson Jr., based on Scotto’s reporting, but I opted for this one instead. Sam Amick of The Athletic has said that the Kings are looking for a late first-round pick from teams for Ellis, even though they haven’t played him in three of their last four games.

Regardless, if that is genuinely the Kings’ asking price, the Bucks shouldn’t pay it, not with a re-swap of their 2026 first-round pick, nor their 2031 or 2032 first-round selections. In the deal, the Bucks ship out Bobby Portis and Amir Coffey for Monk, backup big man Precious Achiuwa, and the Kings’ 2032 unprotected second-round pick. As with the Zach LaVine trade I suggested a couple of weeks ago, this trade couldn’t be completed until deadline day, since Achiuwa was signed on November 4 and can’t be traded for 90 days.

The Bucks are taking on the more expensive contract; they add a much-needed second-round pick. They have plenty of space beneath the tax line to take on Monk’s contract, with $11.5m available. The Kings would cut $5.4m from their books next year and then look to trade Portis to free up more money.

Now that Giannis has sustained his second calf injury this season, the Bucks should look at the rest of this season as a gap year. Milwaukee is 3-11 without Giannis, and with a tough three-game road trip coming up, I don’t expect that record to improve. Their focus should be on emulating what the 76ers and Raptors did last season. Milwaukee should do what they can to keep their lottery pick in a deep draft.

Monk’s contract next season ($20.1m), combined with Kyle Kuzma’s ($20.3m), would allow the Bucks to take $50.7m rather than $43.7m if it were Kuzma and Portis. Here are a few examples of players who will make under that amount next season:

Donovan Mitchell ($50.1m)Kawhi Leonard ($50.3m)Lauri Markkanen ($46.1m)

The Bucks should look to the 2026–27 season, not this one. Even if they opt to keep Monk next season, he could be a valuable bench player. Provided the roster looks similar next year, I’d much rather have Monk as the lead ball handler off the bench than Cole Anthony or Kevin Porter Jr.

Just like LaVine, Monk won’t help the Bucks’ defensive issues, but that’s not why they’re acquiring him. Monk would provide scoring and can handle high usage as the lead ball handler off the bench. The Bucks’ reserve guards (Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, and Anthony) haven’t been productive, averaging a combined 18 points per game. Monk is averaging 12.2 PPG.

He’s also developed into a competent passer during his time in Sacramento and looked good in the pick-and-roll. As the ball handler last season, he averaged five possessions per game and scored 0.90 points per possession, ranking him 56th out of 116. This season, he’s down to three P&R possessions per game and is scoring 0.99 PPP, tied for 19th among 85 qualified players. While the volume has dropped, Monk has remained a productive player running P&Rs. I imagine that with a player like Giannis, Monk could run the P&R better than KPJ and even Rollins have to this point.

Depending on how long Giannis is out with his calf injury, Monk would provide scoring in non-Giannis minutes as well. He’s not someone who can necessarily carry an offense, but he’d be a heck of a lot better than what the Bucks have. Monk can also be a reliable catch-and-shoot player, averaging 2.8 3PA per game and draining 45.3% of them this season. Any way you slice it, Monk would be a solid offensive contributor who not only scores but also distributes the ball.

Do you buy on the potential offensive upside of adding Monk, or would you save Bobby for another trade? Let me know in the comments below.