Born and raised more than 2,000 miles away, Malik Monk has found a new home in Sacramento.
That was one of the main reasons the Arkansas native decided to re-sign with the Kings over a cut in his contract with other teams in NBA free agency.
“It just felt like home here,” Monk told reporters in Sacramento on Saturday. “It just felt right. Everything felt right. I don't feel out of place anywhere. I feel at home everywhere I go. It's home.”
“And that's why I came back.”
He returned to a warm welcome from Kings fans and the city of Sacramento at large, many of whom had already embraced his arrival on the summer free agent market.
But it was the warm support from the fans that drew him back to the 916. And it didn't take two full seasons for Sacramento to quickly love and adore Monk.
Despite being a “rookie” during the 2022-23 NBA season, it only took the fanbase a little over a week to put a bandaid on Monk's back and face in support of his trendy post-injury look.
After starting his NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets, the Los Angeles Lakers took a gamble on Monk and it paid off for both sides.
He will be a free agent in 2022 and reunite with fellow Kentucky Wildcats player and good friend De’Aaron Fox in Sacramento, reviving something special in his professional career while also doing the same with Sacramento Kings basketball.
But after two of the best seasons of his NBA career with the Kings, it was time for Sacramento's beloved sixth man to spread his wings and take flight, and while it was hard to imagine him playing for anyone else, fans knew it was the right fit for him given the path he'd taken.
Although he hasn't actually been on the market this month, he said it's exhilarating to finally feel wanted.
“It felt good,” he said. “It felt good because I'd never been in a situation like this before. It felt good to just sit back and let my agent do the work instead of working overtime to see if there was work. It feels great. I don't even know what to say right now.”
Monk said the most enjoyable part of the process has been finally reaching the “good end” of the journey after overcoming some obstacles over the past seven years.
This process helped him figure out not just how to be a better NBA player, but a better person and a better human being, something he attributes to his brother, Marcus, his mother, JaKaynLean, and his time with the Kings in Sacramento.
Monk appeared in 72 games with the Kings last season, averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 26 minutes off the bench. He was robbed of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award but, perhaps more importantly, was robbed of the opportunity to finish the season with the team.
Monk missed Sacramento's final nine regular-season games and two postseason games because of a sprained MCL he suffered in late March when Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic landed awkwardly on Monk's foot, leaving him limping off the court for the final time this season.
But that's not how Monk planned to play his final game with the Kings.
He acknowledged that, like the rest of the team, he has “unfinished business” in Sacramento.
The Kings were seeded ninth in the Western Conference and were set to face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament, which they advanced to, but lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in the tournament, missing out on a second consecutive playoff appearance.
Monk needed a fresh start and a place to belong in the NBA, and he found Sacramento. And when Sacramento needed him in the offseason, as evidenced by public pleas from teammates and a golf trip with Kings executives, he got it.
During an interview at the end of the 2023-24 season in April, the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up couldn't hide his emotions while speaking to reporters about his future.
A few weeks later, and three days before NBA free agency officially began, it was announced that Monk intended to remain in Sacramento, signing a four-year contract with the Kings worth a reported $78 million, including a player option for the final year.
Making the decision before the start of free agency gave the Kings more freedom and a clearer idea of their options on the open market and potential trade targets.
Monk officially re-signed with the Kings at Golden 1 Center on Saturday, and a few hours later, fans in the same building erupted in cheers just before Sacramento's California Classic match against China, confirming their suspicions from rumors circulating around town all day. Star free agent forward DeMar DeRozan walked onto the court at Golden 1 Center with Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and received a standing ovation from Kings fans.
Ranadivé, Kings general manager Monte McNair and others worked tirelessly to get the deal done, but Monk's selflessness gave the rumor mill the space to turn into reality.
“I'm a team player,” Monk said when asked why he made the decision early. “I could have made more money somewhere else, but I said this is where I feel like I'm at home. I felt like it was the least I could do to let the organization know early. We need a few more guys, and the organization is looking for a few more guys, so I think they're doing their job.”
Like DeRozan, Monk had options.
But he chose Sacramento. He chose the Kings. He chose culture over lucrative cash-outs.
It's a refreshing sign that the NBA isn't just a business. For Monk, Sacramento, home of the Kings, is home. It's his hometown, and after a rocky start to his pro career, he'll never take for granted that he feels wanted and welcomed.
