It appears to be bad news for Malik Monk after the Kings guard exited Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center early with a knee injury.
The NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate suffered a sprained right MCL and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday afternoon, citing sources.
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The Athletic's Shams Charania was first to report the Kings' fear that Monk suffered a sprained MCL Friday after the game.
If the reported four-to-six-week timeline is accurate, Monk likely will miss the first round of the NBA playoffs should the Kings make it, and could return as soon as the Western Conference semifinals in the first week of May.
Monk sustained the injury in the first quarter of Sacramento's 107-103 loss to Dallas after colliding with Luka Dončić in the paint.
NBA
Monk has emerged as one of the Kings' most essential players, helping them return to the NBA playoffs last season and now playing a critical role in their push for the postseason this year. Before he left Friday's loss, he had played just one minute off the bench and shot 1 of 2 from the field with a missed 3-pointer.
Monk was averaging 15.4 points in 26.0 minutes per game during the 2023-24 NBA season, and it remains unclear when he could return.