Mike Brown speaks out on the possibility of Malik Monk becoming a starter next season

The Sacramento Kings world breathed a sigh of relief when Malik Monk (one of the league’s best combo guards) agreed to remain with the team after signing a four-year, $78 million contract extension to remain with the team.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and it appears Monk wants a bigger role to go along with his big paycheck. A few weeks ago, it was reported that the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year (6MOY) runner-up is looking to bring his talents to the starting lineup.

As many of you know, the front office (who offered Monk the contract) is not the entity that decides who starts and who comes off the bench. That decision is made by the head coach (and his staff).

On Thursday during the Vegas Summer League, head coach Mike Brown was asked what he thought about Monk’s desire to start next season. Here’s what he had to say:

“”The first thing is you love that he wanted to be here. That’s the biggest thing. And not only that, you love that he embraced the city, just like they embraced him. He’s competitive, and you want people on your team that are competitive. I wouldn’t be happy with someone if they just sat back in the role that I told them they (were). Everybody wants to be the best. It’s just like our coaches. If you’re the seventh assistant, I wouldn’t be happy if you sat there and said, ‘Hey, I just want to be the seventh assistant for the rest of my time here.’ You want someone who has a growth mindset and is willing to take on the challenges that come with more responsibility. So I applaud (Monk) for that. … But ultimately, what’s best for the team — as he’s said on numerous occasions — is what he’s going to do.”

– Mike Brown, Sacramento Kings

As expected, Brown gave a vague answer to the question. After all, a great magician never reveals his secrets. But what is best for the kings in this case?

As I’ve written before, I think it’s best for the Kings from an on-court perspective for Monk to continue to spark some enthusiasm off the bench, allowing him to alternate between playing off the ball and leading the offense in the minutes that De’Aaron Fox is on the bench.

The best option to start at shooting guard is Keon Ellis – who provides a healthy mix of spacing and defense to balance out a starting lineup expected to score a lot and defend little.

But I think we’ll see soon whether Brown agrees with my thinking.