Malik Monk Receives Status Update After Knee Injury

Kings fans look away... another injury haunts Sacramento.

Mar 21, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0). / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After it was announced the Sacramento Kings would be without starting shooting guard Kevin Huerter for the remainder of the season, Kings fans thought it could not get worse. Then, in Friday's loss against the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento's nightmares became reality. In the first quarter, Kings' Malik Monk collided with Mavericks' Luka Doncic, resulting in Monk's exit.

Following that collision, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Monk suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss four to six weeks. With just nine games left in the regular season and the playoffs three weeks away, the Kings must prepare for Monk to miss the remainder of the season.

Monk, the runaway favorite to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, has averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 assists through 72 games, making a significant difference for Sacramento despite not starting a single game.

With Monk likely out for the rest of the season, Sacramento's guard depth takes a significant blow. Backup forwards Trey Lyles and Sasha Vezenkov are also dealing with injuries, as the Kings' issues have begun to snowball as the playoffs approach.

The Kings sit in eighth place in the West following the back-to-back losses to Dallas, and the play-in tournament is looking like their most likely destination. To avoid a premature exit and secure a playoff berth, the Kings must prepare for life without their third-leading scorer.

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