Monk (knee) has not re-commenced running amid his ongoing recovery from an MCL sprain, and he "doesn't know if a first-round return is a realistic goal," per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Sacramento must defeat Golden State on Tuesday to unlock a first-round opportunity, but Monk appears to be multiple recovery steps away from returning to game action. Behind superstar De'Aaron Fox, Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell have absorbed work in a shorthanded backcourt.
Monk has been diagnosed with a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Monk will miss the rest of the regular season, but depending on how quickly he recovers, he could be available at some point in the postseason if Sacramento is able to advance out of the Play-In Tournament. In the meantime, Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell could be asked to soak up more minutes in the backcourt. Monk will finish the regular season with averages of 15.4 points, 5.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 three-pointers in 26.0 minutes per game over 72 appearances.
Kings' Malik Monk: Set to miss time with sprained knee
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Monk is feared to have suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee during Friday's 107-103 to the Mavericks, but he'll undergo further testing before the Kings provided an updated diagnosis of his injury Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Monk suffered his knee injury early in the first quarter of the contest after colliding with Luka Doncic. While fantasy managers should look out for an official update from Sacramento, losing the likely Sixth Man of the Year would be a big blow for the Kings' playoff hopes. Monk is averaging 15.4 points, 5.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 three-pointers, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game through his 72 appearances.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Leaves early with knee injury
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Monk won't return to Friday's game versus Dallas with a right knee injury. He finished with two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT) and one rebound in one minute.
Monk collided with Luka Doncic early in the first quarter and his right knee buckled awkwardly. Though Monk was able to walk off the court under his own power, the Kings ruled him out for the remainder of the game fairly quickly after he checked out of the contest. Until more is known, Monk should be considered questionable for Sunday against the Jazz.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Goes to locker room
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Monk left Friday's game against Dallas with an apparent right knee injury and went to the locker room with 4:14 remaining in the first quarter.
Monk contested a Luka Doncic shot attempt, and the Kings guard landed on his leg awkwardly. Monk was in obvious pain and should be considered questionable to return.
Monk ended with 20 points (6-13 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 7-7 FT), one rebound, four assists, one block and one steal in 29 minutes off the bench during Thursday's 109-102 loss to the Wizards.
The 26-year-old guard struggled to find his shot from the outside but still reached 20 points for the sixth time in 11 March contests. Monk is averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 assists, 4.0 boards and 2.2 threes on the month as he continues to build a strong case for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Struggles from deep Wednesday
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Monk closed Wednesday's 123-89 win over the Raptors with 17 points (6-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal over 20 minutes.
Monk ended with a solid stat line across the board, but the sharpshooter had a rough outing from deep, making just one of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. There's a strong chance this was nothing more than an off night for Monk, as he's averaging 21.0 points per game while coming off the bench since the beginning of March.
Monk amassed 28 points (10-19 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds and six assists over 39 minutes during Monday's 121-111 overtime win over the Grizzlies.
Monk struggled from three-point range, but that didn't stop him from posting another impressive stat line, with the veteran sharpshooter reaching the 20-point mark in three of his last five appearances. One of the most productive second-unit scorers in The Association, Monk holds substantial value in most formats due to his scoring prowess and important role in the Kings' rotation. He's averaging 21.4 points, 5.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game since the beginning of March.
Monk (neck strain) briefly exited Wednesday's game against the Lakers during the first half, but he will be available for the second half, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.
Monk made a quick trip to the locker room after being tied up with Anthony Davis during a fastbreak but quickly returned to the Kings' bench. He'll be available to play in the closing two periods.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Pours in 25 points from bench
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Monk provided 25 points (9-19 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes during Tuesday's 129-94 victory over the Bucks.
Monk added to his resume for Sixth Man of the Year with another brilliant performance. Keegan Murray's (ankle) injury required an extra push from the bench, but Monk delivers the goods nightly. Monk and De'Aaron Fox would probably not fare as well if they were both in the first unit, and the team has implemented Monk's' role perfectly. He's versatile enough to cover three positions as a reserve.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Goes for 20 points Sunday
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Monk racked up 20 points (8-16 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists and two steals across 27 minutes during Sunday's 112-104 loss to the Rockets.
Monk struggled with his outside shot and made just two of his eight three-point attempts, but he still posted a strong stat line while reaching the 20-point mark for the third time over his last five appearances. Monk is averaging 22.8 points per game since the beginning of March and has provided a massive boost to the Kings' second unit while being a solid fantasy option for managers who decided to stick with him when things weren't going so well.
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Kings' Malik Monk: Teases triple-double off bench
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Monk finished Thursday's 131-129 win over the Spurs with 18 points (6-17 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal across 30 minutes off the bench.
The 26-year-old wing did commit six turnovers, but it was still a very impressive performance as Monk led the Kings' second unit in scoring and rebounding while tying Domantas Sabonis for the team lead in assists. Monk's produced a career-high 5.3 assists a game this season, and his overall numbers have spiked since the beginning of February -- he's averaging 19.5 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 boards, 2.1 threes and 0.8 steals over the last 16 games.
