After arguably his best season in the NBA, Malik Monk gets paid.
The runner-up for NBA Sixth Man of the Year intends to return to the Sacramento Kings on a four-year, $78-million deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Monk, 26, fit like a glove with the Kings over the last two years after finding mixed success during his time with the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers.
The 11th-overall pick in 2017 is coming off a career-best season in scoring (15.4 points per game) and assists (5.1).
Monk played in 72 games for Sacramento before missing the conclusion of the season due to a sprained MCL. Missing those final few games ended up costing him some hardware as he missed out on the 6MOY by just two first-place votes. Monk's case for the award was just as strong as Naz Reid's considering the guard led the NBA in points and assists off the bench.
It was no secret the Kings were looking to retain their sparkplug off the bench. And being able to negotiate with him right after the Finals, before other suitors -- like the Lakers or Philadelphia 76ers -- could, on June 30, seems to have paid off in a big way for both Sacramento and Monk.
The former Kentucky Wildcat was one of the top potential free agents on the market and now teams will have to look further down on their list to acquire the type of guard depth and scoring punch he provides.
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