Kings' Coach Addresses Trade Rumors of Key Roster Piece

The Sacramento Kings could be one of the most interesting teams to watch at this year's trade deadline. They have a mostly veteran roster and had hoped to compete for a playoff spot this season. Instead, they’re one of the worst teams in the league and look more like a team competing for the top draft pick in next year's draft. 

As a result of their disappointing play, the Kings are likely to make some major moves at the trade deadline. They need to get younger, move off their older veterans, and take a step towards a proper rebuild. 

Malik Monk has been one of the most mentioned players when it comes to the Kings' trade rumors. However, when the Kings’ coach, Doug Christie, was asked about the possibility of a Monk trade, this is what he said. 

"I don't have anything there. But I love Malik — always have. What we're trying to do here is bigger than any one player or two players. We're trying to build something sustainable. We just changed things up in this moment — he got back in the game. Nothing personal, nothing like that. I've told him that — love him to death. But we are trying to shake things up and figure out how to compete at a high level and play to our standards. What you see over there (Detroit) is a lot of what we want: physical, aggressive, in-your-face basketball that relies on defense first and foremost."

We all know that what a coach thinks or hopes for isn’t necessarily what a team does. If the Kings can get some positive value from trading away Monk, they certainly will. On a team that’s not competing for a playoff spot, a volume scorer like Monk isn’t that helpful. So maybe Christie is right, but if the Kings get even a decent offer, expect Monk to be traded.