It was a rough season for the 2025-26 Sacramento Kings, largely due to what felt like countless injuries to their main contributors. Their expected sixth man, Malik Monk, was available for most of the season as he participated in 62 of their 82 showings.
Participating in that many of a 60-loss season could leave a sour taste, but Monk was his usual positive, upbeat self at this week’s end-of-season exit interviews.
“We were just a happy group,” he said when asked what positives stood out from the year. “(We) joked a lot, like being around each other. So, just off the court was amazing.”
Queue the upset fans that professional athletes still had fun off the court while losing games, but not a group that does not have a broken spirit matters. If anyone is going to help lighten the mood after rough games, Monk seems to be the type.
Averaging 22 minutes, the 28-year-old guard tallied 12.5 points and 3.0 assists while shooting 43.8 percent from the field. While lower than what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Monk, he and other veterans on the roster took a back seat in the final stretch, while their younger players were given chances to spread their wings.
His most impressive line this season came in the form of three-point shooting, converting a career-high 39.5 percent from deep on 5.1 attempts per game. On a Sacramento roster that ended 29th in three-point percentage, that was the highest conversion rate on the roster.
“We were out there competing and trying to win, even though sometimes it didn’t look like it,” Monk said. “We’d have miscommunication on defense, and it looked like we’re not trying. But yeah, we were out there actually trying to win the game this season.”
Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings goes for a layup over Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center on April 07, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
While disappointing all-around, it became clear fairly early that this season was shifting to prioritizing development. Head coach Doug Christie took over the team for 51 games last season, but this was his first full year with his own staff around him.
Monk’s perspective on his coach’s performance this season is notable, considering he’s one of the guys who was also here under Mike Brown.
“His first year being a head coach, he definitely grew a lot,” Monk said of Christie.
“Especially with just talking to the players, coming to us, letting us know things, what we need to do better as individuals. So yeah, he grew a lot with that. Then just him being a player, he kind of seen where we was coming from with some things we do, and he kind of adjusted his schedule, adjusted his way of thinking. So yeah, he grew a lot this year.”
Christie is expected to return next season, a decision that Perry explained on Wednesday, but there’s uncertainty regarding Monk. It’s not his own fault, largely being productive when out there, but it feels like most players on the roster will essentially be up for grabs this offseason.
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