Nearly a month into free agency, the Sacramento Kings seem to be eyeing more moves. Specifically, they are looking to sign Russell Westbrook, which makes sense given their need for guard depth. However, according to Kings analyst Matt George, Sacramento is looking to trade either Malik Monk or Devin Carter before they sign Westbrook.
On the Kings/Russell Westbrook front:
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) July 28, 2025
Both parties have been talking and have had mutual interest since free agency began. That's been well known.
From what I gather, the Kings are still looking to move a player like Devin Carter or Malik Monk before they can bring Westbrook…
Bringing Westbrook in makes sense, but doing so at the expense of Monk or Carter would be counterproductive. The Kings already signed Dennis Schröder to fill their point guard void. While some extra guard depth would be nice, it’s not necessary, especially given Westbrook’s age and that the Kings would be giving up two of their best assets.
Monk is one of the Kings' best players and provides a need shot creation punch, and Carter is a high upside second-year player. While Monk would likely come off the bench in favor of Schröder and Zach LaVine, he is a key part of the Kings' core. Since the Kings are trying to clear cap to make room for Westbrook, Monk feels like the more logical trade candidate.
The Kings should keep Devin Carter and Malik Monk
The Kings spent a lottery pick on Carter last year. While Carter didn’t put up monster numbers as a rookie, he was injured for most of the season. As a result, it would be unwise for the Kings to give up on him early. Sacramento is unlikely to be a playoff team, so being able to develop some of its young talent would be beneficial. Plus, at 23, Carter could contribute at a high level.
The Kings are $3.8 million below the tax threshold, which is why they would want to trade one of Monk or Carter. In the case of Carter, the Kings would likely get back future assets and no players since he’s still on a rookie-scale contract.
However, they would get less than ideal value back, considering teams know Carter is on the trade block and how his rookie season played out. Overall, trading one of their few talented young players for limited value to make room for a 36-year-old guard would be preposterous.
As for Monk, he could yield a somewhat solid return, and it’s easy to see them getting a real player in return for him. Monk is set to make $18.7 million this upcoming season, and the Kings could shed salary by trading him. However, since teams know Monk is on the market, his return likely wouldn’t be ideal. Keeping a high-level three-level scorer who is 27 would make more sense than trading him to sign an aging guard.
Ultimately, the Kings don’t project to be a playoff team, and Westbrook wouldn’t change that, especially if it means giving up Monk or Carter. Eventually, the Kings will have to start making tough decisions about LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and DeMar DeRozan.
It feels likely that they’ll eventually have to pivot to a complete rebuild, and doing that without Monk or Carter would be more challenging. The Kings should remain patient and not put all their belief into a 36-year-old. However, George’s report doesn’t make this idea seem promising.