Malik Ahmad Monk (born February 4, 1998) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played one season of

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30, ...

, earning consensus second-team

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

honors in 2017. Monk was selected in the first round of the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

by the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

with the 11th overall pick. He has also played for the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

Early life

Monk attended East Poinsett County High School in Lepanto, Arkansas for his freshman year. As a freshman, he averaged 22.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while leading them to a 25–8 overall record and an appearance in the Class 2A state championship game. After his freshman season, Monk transferred to

Bentonville High School Bentonville High School (BHS) is a public high school in Bentonville, Arkansas, United States Founded in 1910, the school provides education for students in grades nine through twelve. It is one of two high schools of the Bentonville School Di ...

Bentonville, Arkansas Bentonville is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States. The city is centrally located in the county with Rogers, Arkansas, Rogers adjacent to the east. The city proper had a population of 54,164 at the 2020 Unite ...

. In his junior year, he averaged 26.9

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...

. In the spring and summer of 2015, Monk competed for the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU) team, Arkansas Wings Elite, in the

Nike Elite Youth Basketball League The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, also known as Nike EYBL, or simply EYBL, is a basketball circuit for teams of players aged 17 and under. The circuit was founded in 2010 and is composed of AAU travel teams. Both boys and girls play in the ...

(EYBL) where he averaged 19.7 points per game. He then competed on the 2015 Nike Global Challenge for the East team, where he averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in addition to earning tournament MVP honors. On November 18, 2015, Monk committed to

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, choosing them over

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. As a senior, he averaged 28.6

, 4.4 assists per game and 7.6

rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

. In January 2016, Monk played in the

2016 McDonald's All-American Game The 2016 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star game, All-star basketball game played on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at the United Center in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, home of the Chicago Bulls. The game's rosters features the best and ...

and

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school all star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys and girls in the senior class. In 2015, a girl's game was introduced. Th ...

where he earned Co-MVP honors alongside former Kentucky teammate and NBA player

De'Aaron Fox De'Aaron Martez Fox (born December 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being selected fift ...

. Monk was a consensus five-star prospect and considered as one of the best players in the 2016 class by the four main recruiting services:

Rivals A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement ** Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom ** Scouts BSA, sect ...

and

247Sports 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on college recruiting, athletic recruitment in college football and college basketball, basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount Global, Paramount. The website hosts a large ...

. Monk was ranked as the No.9 overall recruit and No.1 shooting guard in the 2016 high school class.

College career

On November 18, 2015, Monk tweeted that he would be attending the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

. On December 17, 2016, Monk set a University of Kentucky freshman scoring record with 47 points in a win over

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. Twelve days later, he scored 34 points on 5-for-7 three-point shooting in a 99–76 win over

Ole Miss OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to: * Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain * Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole * Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains Co ...

. On January 21, 2017, Monk scored 27 points in a 85–69 win over

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. On January 31, 2017, he scored 37 points against

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. On February 25, 2017, Monk tallied 33 points in a 76–66 victory over

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. On February 28, 2017, Monk scored 27 points in a 73–67 win over Vanderbilt. At the end of his freshman season, Monk was named SEC Player and Freshman of the Year, while also being named to both First-team All-SEC and the SEC All-Freshman team. At the conclusion of his freshman season, Monk announced that he would forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility and enter the

where he was projected as a first-round selection. Less than 24 hours after teammate De'Aaron Fox announced his intentions to declare for the draft Monk also announced he was declaring for the draft. Stating, "After taking some time with my family and reflecting on this season, I have decided to enter my name into the 2017 NBA draft."

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2017–2021)

On June 22, 2017, Monk was selected with the eleventh overall pick in the

by the

. On July 2, 2017, Monk signed his rookie-scale contract with the Hornets worth $15,726,047. Monk missed the entire 2017 NBA Summer League due to an ankle injury. In his fourth game on October 25, 2017, Monk recorded 17 points, two steals and two assists in a 110–93 victory against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...

. On November 1, 2017, with Kentucky coach

John Calipari John Vincent Calipari (; born February 10, 1959) is an American basketball coach who is the head coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball, University of Arkansas. He has been named Naismith College Coach of the Year three times (1996, 2 ...

on hand, Monk scored 25 points in a 126–121 victory against the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. During his rookie season, Monk was assigned to the Hornets'

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, for one game. He scored 25 points, collected eight rebounds and recorded four assists in a December 26, 2017 game. On February 26, 2020, Monk was suspended indefinitely for violating the NBA's substance use policy. Before the suspension, Monk was averaging 10.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. He was reinstated on June 8, after it was determined he was in compliance with the anti-drug program. On February 1, 2021, Monk scored a then-career-high 36 points in a 129–121 overtime win over the Heat.

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Monk signed with the

on a trade-exception salary deal. On April 10, 2022, Monk put up a then-career-high 41 points in a 146–141 win over the

Sacramento Kings (2022–present)

On July 6, 2022, Monk signed a two-year, $19 million contract with the

reuniting with his former college teammate

. On February 24, 2023, Monk scored a career-high 45 points in a 176–175 double-overtime win over the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

, the second-highest-scoring game in NBA history. In game 1 of the Kings' first-round playoff series against the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

, Monk scored 32 points on perfect 14-of-14 shooting from the free throw line in a 126–123 win. He also tied Ed Macauley's record for the most free throws made without a miss in a playoff debut. On July 6, 2024, Monk re-signed with the Kings. Monk signed a four-year contract worth $78 million. It was a max allowed contract by the Kings incentivized with a player option in the fourth year.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 63 , , 0 , , 13.5 , , .360 , , .342 , , .842 , , 1.0 , , 1.4 , , .3 , , .1 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 73 , , 0 , , 17.2 , , .387 , , .330 , , .882 , , 1.9 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .3 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 55 , , 1 , , 21.3 , , .434 , , .284 , , .820 , , 2.9 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .3 , , 10.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Charlotte , 42 , , 0 , , 20.9 , , .434 , , .401 , , .819 , , 2.4 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .1 , , 11.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Lakers , 76 , , 37 , , 28.1 , , .473 , , .391 , , .795 , , 3.4 , , 2.9 , , .8 , , .4 , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

, 77 , , 0 , , 22.3 , , .448 , , .359 , , .889 , , 2.6 , , 3.9 , , .6 , , .3 , , 13.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 72 , , 0 , , 26.0 , , .443 , , .350 , , .829 , , 2.9 , , 5.1 , , .6 , , .5 , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 65 , , 45 , , 31.6 , , .439 , , .325 , , .865 , , 3.8 , , 5.6 , , .9 , , .6 , , 17.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 523 , , 83 , , 22.8 , , .434 , , .350 , , .848 , , 2.6 , , 3.2 , , .6 , , .3 , , 12.3

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 0 , , 29.3 , , .409 , , .333 , , .898 , , 5.4 , , 3.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , 19.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 7 , , 0 , , 29.3 , , .409 , , .333 , , .898 , , 5.4 , , 3.6 , , .7 , , .4 , , 19.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 37 , , 32.1 , , .450 , , .397 , , .822 , , 2.5 , , 2.3 , , .9 , , .5 , , 19.8

Personal life

Monk was born in

Jonesboro, Arkansas Jonesboro () is a city located on Crowley's Ridge in the northeastern corner of the U.S. State of Arkansas. Jonesboro is one of two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, Craighead County. In 2023, the city had an estimated population of ...

to Jackie Monk and Michael Scales and is the younger brother of former Arkansas All-SEC

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

Marcus Monk Marcus Monk (born April 26, 1986) is an American former professional football wide receiver and a former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL draft. He played college football a ...

References

External links

Kentucky Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, Malik 1998 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Arkansas Bentonville High School alumni Charlotte Hornets draft picks Charlotte Hornets players Doping cases in basketball Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans People from Bentonville, Arkansas People from Lepanto, Arkansas Sacramento Kings players Shooting guards 21st-century American sportsmen