Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season and the upcoming Play-In Tournament due to a left calf strain, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
Charania reported on Wednesday that the 27-year-old will be re-evaluated in two weeks, effectively removing him from Sacramento’s postseason push barring a deep playoff run.
The injury occurred during the Kings’ 127-117 victory over the Detroit Pistons on April 7, and Monk has not returned to action since.
Prior to being sidelined, the eighth-year guard was enjoying the best statistical season of his career, averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.
Monk had emerged as one of the top bench scorers in the NBA and was a leading candidate for the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year award before the injury setback.
Sacramento (39-41) currently sits at 9th in the Western Conference standings and faces significant pressure in the final stretch of the regular season without its most productive reserve.
The Kings’ margin for error has evaporated with only two games left on their schedule and multiple teams, including Dallas and Phoenix, within reach of the Play-In range.
Monk’s absence was felt in Wednesday night’s 124-116 loss to the Denver Nuggets, a game that carried major implications for playoff seeding.
Denver, playing their first game after firing head coach Michael Malone, controlled the contest from the opening tip and never relinquished momentum.
