Chris Biderman, The Sacramento Bee – Kings Next Steps After Re-Signing Malik Monk

Chris Biderman, The Sacramento Bee – Kings Next Steps After Re-Signing Malik Monk

as Chris Beerman who’s with us now does an amazing job covering the Sacramento Kings uh for the Sacramento be does an amazing job covering the San Francisco 49ers as well in canos Chronicles but Chris it’s uh it’s Malik monk day and we were just talking on the live stream on the video stream on YouTube twitch and Twitter uh you were like we were a bit surprised uh that this was announced so quickly yeah man I mean look if you if you just say to Malik monk like hey Malik what’s good what’s going on he’ll tell you $100 million that’s like one of his like go-to like you know responses when you say hey what’s good and so you know even listening to dear and fox after the team lost in the play in New Orleans talking about um you know the possibility with Malik hitting free agency this summer dearen Fox wasn’t exactly exuding a whole lot of confidence that Malik would be back he was like yeah it’d be great to have Malik back but it’s a business and the you know the reading between the lines it sounds like Fox thought there would be better offers elsewhere and you know in my mind I was like yeah if you can go play in you know a state like Florida with no state income taxes and get $100 million from the Orlando Magic then like that would be a pretty advantageous situation you’d still be on a you know playoff team you could be a a key part of a playoff team there and and in my head that’s kind of where I thought this would go um and I know you know he obviously was a great fit with the Kings is a great fit with the Kings Mike Brown Deen Fox the whole roster um but I was a little bit surprised because I do think he took a discount and I’m you know I think he took less money to to maybe stay in a place where he’s more comfortable where he obviously is a really great fit he makes it very clear over and over again that he loves playing in Sacramento that he loves the fans um so it’s a huge deal for the Kings because had they not been able to retain Malik you know this offseason looks a lot different and it probably becomes a lot harder for them to you know to to to improve the roster so with Malik back um they still have Avenues to improve the roster and I I think they’re sitting in a pretty good spot so it’s a it’s a huge development for the Kings because you know I was I was pretty surprised man I thought he was going to go get $100 million from the magic or you know where wherever else I thought there was going to be a better offer out there and maybe there were but I think this shows that he was pretty committed to to being in a place where he’s a really good fit in Sacramento see the thing Chris that I I always believed was I I didn’t I didn’t think I could be wrong like definitely be wrong but I didn’t think there was uh a hundred million doll offer out there from teams that made sense right like sure we talked about you know possibly Detroit yeah and Detroit could throw a100 million doll offer out there but like Daman said earlier enjoy that because that might be one of your last big contracts so really wouldn’t really wouldn’t work out the way people um thought it might Orlando I never thought Orlando was going to get to 100 I never thought San Antonio was gonna get to 100 I thought he was at best about a $20 million a year guy which would put him at 80 which was not far from um not far from the Kings 7078 and I always thought if it was that close you might as well just come back to Sacramento where you know the situation they in some ways tailor the the the offense and what they do around your skill set and like they pointed out perfectly so many times is that lines you up to get another H hundred million potentially or more with your situation here in Sacramento so I I I just always felt if that was the case if it was somebody saying $20 million a year um you know Malik we want you to play I’d be like that’s I don’t think that’s enough to get him out of Sacramento unless he’s just like to the penny Money Motivated and and I I didn’t know if he was or not but I hoped he wasn’t yeah and there’s the element of you know the last year what been reported the last year as a player option so that’s that’s about as much of a sweetener as the Kings could offer him given the given the financial restraints with the with the early bird rights and those things so yeah man I think it’s uh I think it’s nothing but positive for the Kings I think like honestly I was surprised but I I everything you said I I agree with like I you know may maybe the market maybe we’re so used to the market being inflated and like seeing these Alan Krab and Evan Turner deals you know and always thinking about like the cap spiking and oh guys are just going to get paid because the Cap’s going to keep going up maybe teams are just you know a little bit more reluctant to throw big contracts around because they’ve seen what’s happened with Evan Turner and Allen Krab and those types and just said like no we’re going to be more prudent and maybe maybe the the free agent money comes back to Earth a little bit this summer we’ve been pretty adamant today like Hey we’re going to have fun we’re going to uh this is a big deal Malik Monk Is back we’re going to celebrate it we’re going to have fun but come Monday it’s like it’s a question I’ll ask you okay now what like the the draft’s three days away free agencies a few days after that like all right all right great great no it was fun had a great weekend pop some Luke Bair it was a good look but okay what are we gonna do now so you know there’s Jak Jake fiser from Yahoo’s been reporting about Zack LaVine um the question the first question I have about the whole Zack LaVine thing and I guess I’ll ask you guys this would you rather have Kyle kozma than Zack LaVine I would yeah yeah I think we because he’s the contract is like quite literally half as much with Zack LaVine you’re looking at you know I think it’s like 43 45 and 48 with a player option in that third year for Zack LaVine so he would come to the Kings and be the highest paid player coming off foot surgery um that’s that’s kind of scary to me um and I think you know the number they play different positions obviously but the number numbers are pretty comparable with kozma what they bring to the team would be pretty comparable but kozma’s at like 22 and then 20 and 18 over the next three years it’s like half as much money for similar production and I don’t know you know if if kozma is even available I don’t know that you would have to give Washington a whole lot more in a trade than you would for Zack LaVine and and not to say you know getting Zack LaVine I think he would give the Kings some much needed punch particularly in the playoffs or in a postseason setting um given giving them another score really a third score um to pair with you know dear and Malik um and Keegan I mean a four scorer if you want to put it that way too to surround domas who who would be a screener distributor passer type guy um it would make sense just the health concerns and the contract scares me and I wonder man like wouldn’t you rather have Kyle kzo who’s making half the money that Zach laven is um you know over the same the same years like I think to me that makes more sense but I I would totally understand the upgrade that Zack LaVine prevent presents I I’m I would just be a little a little worried about the long-term Financial ramifications of paying a guy like that over 40 $40 million for the next three years because you know more more likely than not he’s picking up that player option in what 27 28 or whatever it is yeah and that’s one of the things we’ve always talked about on here right Dame is like there isn’t going to be a player that you acquire if you’re the kings that doesn’t give you some concern some somewhere whether it’s their contract whether it’s injury history whether it’s um you know performance is this guy good enough to put you over the top all this other stuff somebody’s gonna have some type of warts to to their resume contrac and money length being long or in the bi case the Too Short exactly exactly and he got injury issues as well so I I’m the the guy I would want most is kosma but kind of like you alluded to as well Chris I I do see I do see benefits in the possible Zack LaVine acquisition even with Malik monk there you talked about the playoffs and having another guy that can go get a basket I mean I think that I I I think that’s an underrated trait to your roster um nowadays like you you need you know a bucket getter whether it’s a guy that can create or hit an open jump shot for you or whatever the case may be just to just to keep the them dogs off of you you know what I’m saying if you’re dearon fox or if you’re sabonis or Keegan or whatever the case may be if you can surround those guys with another score uh It could only help so I I know a lot of people are down on the thought of Um Zack LaVine but while he’s not my first choice I wouldn’t I I see I see benefit in Zack LaVine being here I mean the biggest benefit might be you can get him on the cheap right like if the kid if the Bulls are really try and offload that contract and you can get him for Harrison Barnes Kevin herder and 13 or whatever the package would be like that you know that might be a way to upgrade the team on the cheap that otherwise wouldn’t be available um and again I have no idea what Kyle kzo would cost but um I I wouldn’t I wouldn’t hate the deal I I would totally get it because this is a team that you know you’re trying to win playoff series you’re trying to um you know I think their their best way to get there is ADD scoring punch I I don’t think that’s a you know that’s a mystery after seeing what’s happened in the playin um and the first round of the playoffs the last two years right so yeah Zack LaVine would make sense I just it’s a lot of money man it’s a lot of money for a guy coming off an injury um like the one he has and and I would have concerns about that for sure do you think anything Chris is um what do you think Malik’s role is the same next year do you think he’s a six-man again that’s a good question I know he said he wanted to start and you know Mike Brown always says it’s not really about it’s who starts it’s who finishes games but I mean I think if you’re paying him you you’re probably starting him but then you know where does Keon fit in are you g to start are you g to start small and go dear and Malik and Keon in in the same starting lineup do you bring Keon Off the Bench and is Keon as effective Off the Bench um I I really like Malik in his current role and um you know I I I do think like it that there’s there’s value to him bringing that energy Off the Bench I think there’s a ton of value to that I don’t think the Kings you know necessarily need to start him just to start him because he’s he’ll be one of their highest paid guys and now clearly a part of their core now that he’s on this contract um I I like where he’s at what he brings and and the flexibility the the ability you know you get out you start off slow and then you inject Malik into the game um and you know his ability to to run with the second unit and play you know with Davon and with dear at different times like I I like the flexibility you have of bringing him off the bench I wouldn’t have any problem with starting him but I do Wonder like given the king’s overall sort of lack of depth I I if it were me I would keep him coming off the bench and then obviously he’s still going to be a crunch time guy for you so I care less about who’s starting and I’m kind of with Mike Brown in the idea that like you want your best guys finishing the games and and and starting is less important we we don’t we don’t know if this is the case at all we’re just having a conversation we’re not reporting or whatever but if in negotiations Malik said yeah if I come back I want to be a starter and and Mike Brown is there too so it’s not like they’re doing this without Mike but everybody’s of the understanding yeah I want to start would you because I’m with you I would like for him to come off the bench but if if he says he wants to start that wouldn’t be something that would keep me from signing him it’s like all right well that’s that’s okay if that’s what you want to get back here let’s let’s do it yeah and you figure that out and maybe that’s something that changes down the road but like I think we’ve seen in the NBA you know panu job Andrea gadala guys like who can be super important players on Championship type teams who come off the bench and it’s less important you know the fact that they’re in the starting lineup and their names being read during intros um you know I think there’s I do think it’s less important but like I don’t know man like what what happens to Keon if he’s not starting right is like if you’re bringing in Keon Midway through the first quarter is is he the same guy that he was last year is he you know is Keon benefiting from getting a lot of a lot of minutes with um the second unit or do you maximize Keon by playing him with the starters just saying hey go go be a dog defensively and hit open shots when when the ball finds you right like I think that’s how you maximize ke I just think everything fits a little bit better when you have mik coming off the bench but yeah like if Malik’s like yeah I start me or I’m leaving you know I’m not I’m not tied to to keeping him on the bench I’m like yeah sure we’ll start you we’ll we’ll we’ll figure that out later like that’s that’s all good with us so I get both sides of it I don’t think it’s ultimately going to be that important but you know we’ll see like I think like I said it’s it’s who’s playing the last five minutes of games that matters I think there’s also a scenario where like Malik’s coming off the bench right now today on June 21st with the way that the roster made up but we got a few other ideas in mind and if those things start to shake out maybe it does make more sense for Malik to start because now we have a stronger second unit and we would like him uh in that starting lineup of course that’s all who knows at this point um but I’m still of the belief that that Malik will do what’s there like everyone is in the best interest work within the best interest of what will help the Sacramento Kings win basketball games yeah and my you know my second thought after just the pure surprise of you know the idea of Malik taking a discount to come back okay what’s this mean for Kevin herder right like the guy who’s who’s been in every trade rumor um you know really for the last what six months or whatever it’s been five four months five months whatever um you know is is he going to be he’s he was the starter super streaky player I know there was some frustration about you know his him’s limitations defensively Midway through last year um you know is it I do Wonder like was was Kevin herder’s future addressed at all in the Malik monk conversations and if Kevin herder is on the way out and say he is on the way out for somebody who plays a different position whether that’s you know Kyle kosma or even Zack LaVine like does that does that create more of an opportunity for Malik and was it important for Malik to know like I’ll have an expanded role because you know maybe some guys playing my same position won’t be here next year um so you know all the chatter would indicate that the kings are are aggressively shopping Kevin herder and Harrison Barnes and so you know maybe that’s part of the calculus here from a week it’s like I’ll have a bigger role next year whether I’m starting or not because you know they’ll they’ll replace Kevin herder with potentially somebody who plays a different POS position uh before you we got another uh AI write up of the show like so so artificial intelligence writes these summaries of DLo and Casey this one’s in a little bit better shape than the last one is the chat revolves around the upcoming concert at Malik’s nightclub in Sacramento the the excitement the excitement for Malik Malik Monk’s decision to remain with the Sacramento Kings and various aspects of Sacramento’s nightlife and culture including references to the beach town of Santa Barbara and the band Aldren re revolution revolution who this I I don’t know the artificial intelligence y this is crazy ever has concerns about AI taking their job just check out what YouTube is doing right now I will say I went to school in Santa Barbara my first three years I I spent three years at a junior college because I was an overachiever um it was when Revolution I don’t know if you guys are familiar but uh it was when Revolution was Playing House parties in Santa Barbara and I have a few very distinct maybe some fuzzier memories of of going to Revolution concerts in Santa Barbara now they’re like a big like National band that everyone knows about they are Maybe I maybe AI did a deep dive in my Santa Barbara background could be because I don’t know who mentioned Santa Barbara I don’t know what a re re what is it Revolution I don’t know what that is no I it’s like um kind of like a ree style band oh like I would that either I wouldn’t either but it explains why your memories of them are a little bit hazy yes yeah um another question I had if Malik monk had a night club in Sacramento do you think there would be concerts at that nightclub well we could do it we’re the ones planning it we’re the ones putting we could have YG out there instead of ace spades YG coming through the Maliks this week sure yeah no I just wonder you know the the those the the type of nightclubs I just don’t know that they’re the the type of nightclubs I’m thinking about I don’t really know if they’re known for hosting concerts well no no we don’t that’s not going to be that type of is James this isn’t James Harden’s nightclub no this this is a nightclub what would James Harden’s Club be oh man geez I was just gonna see if you were gonna call it hardens because that would be hilarious that would be hilarious nope all right no you don’t have to wonder what it is oh man I’ll stick I’ll stick to going to Malik we’re going to Malik we’re we’re going to make this got come leaks man I’m there City the old huning Lou well maybe we’ll find a different location iuk invited ah well you tell us come on man it’s gotta get done man when we got Malik monk day when’s Brandon auk day I think my my whole thinking throughout all of this is that you know even going back to early early in the offseason when it was apparent this was going to kind of be drawn out it was in my mind it was always like yeah this is probably going to get ugly at some point there’s probably going to be Social Media stuff there might even be a trade demand whatever it’s pretty typical for NFL contracts for all that stuff to happen and then ultimately the Niners have done a pretty good job of getting these deals done and you know one thing John Lynch always says is deadlines spur action there’s absolutely no deadline in June for anything right we’re still a month away from players reporting the training Camp um and so typically that report date serves as a deadline and it has for the 49ers in the past when it comes to getting these deals done with George KD Fred Warner um whoever it whoever it may be dbo Samuel who I think was those those negotiations were a lot more contentious than these seem to be um I don’t buy for a second that the 49ers don’t want Brandon hayuk like he said in that in that Tik Tok video which in my opinion was him just kind of trolling and just kind of I think Brandon iuk is has a really good mind about him and knows exactly how to push the buttons um on social media and how to you know how to I don’t know if change the narrative is is the right way to put it but how to add to a certain narrative if that makes sense um it didn’t necessarily move me in a way that like made me think oh this isn’t going to happen or the 49 I’ve I’ve never thought the 49ers were going to trade Brandon iuk I still don’t my expectation is this do this deals going to get done um and you know it’ll be a lot like the other ones I think it’s just going to be difficult because the 49ers have so many high highly priced players the receiver Market’s exploding um and it’s just going to be hard to to keep everybody paid so I think it’s it’s a difficult contract to do but I think they’ll do it just given their history of getting these contracts done yeah I I think they’ll get it done as well um you know I I don’t think if if he’s looking for that $30 million a year or you know the reported 30 Mill I don’t think that’s going to happen and I think he’s I think he’s got to be okay with that you know what I mean it’s easy for me to say but I think 26 that’s been reported I think that’s more than fair for for for Brandon auk and especially when you talk about um the the team right like they’re giving you 26 in in in part because that’s about all they can give you it’s not cuz they don’t want to give you 30 but like that’s that’s about all they can do they’re giving you almost all that they can while being able to keep a team around you that’s that’s super competitive I I don’t know I I think it’s around that 2627 million and I think that’s a good fair deal I think it’ll probably be a scenario where when the deal gets first reported it’ll be something that averages you know 30 million or whatever just like when Adam schfer or whoever the NFL reporter is that gets tweet it’ll be from the agent and the aent the agent will you know blow up the numbers to make it look bigger but then there will be you know void years tacked on at the end and and it’ll be probably closer to what you’re talking about 26 27 28 um what I my expectation would be you know after the first two or three years of the deal there would be an opportunity to sign a new one um so he could have another bite at the Apple it wouldn’t it wouldn’t be the type like Trent Williams his contract when he signed a few years ago was essenti it was a six-year deal but it was basically two threeyear deals right one that they could they could opt out of and rework and you know give him more guaranteed money and all of that I would expect something something along the same lines with iuk and that’s why this stuff is so complicated and get so drawn out because there’s so many particulars in these contracts um and I will never begrudge a player for fighting for everything he thinks he’s worth um but I think it’s just going to be complicated but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it’s just one of those deals where you know two three years from or three years from now we’re talking like all right Brandon auk’s going to he’s going to sign another extension and the money’s going to be a little bit different I’d imagine that’s what the 49ers want because they’re going to need as much flexibility as possible going forward because we’re going to be this time next year we’re gonna be talking about Brock pry getting 5055 million a year and that’s that’s very much in the 49ers calculus right now too he’s gonna have a Super Bowl on his resume great stuff Chris uh great to catch up with you uh on Malik monk day we’ll have a VIP table waiting for you uh at Malik’s uh when it’s time drop drop our name at the door it’s good if if they give you any hassle just be like come on man DLo and Casey I got you I’ll meet you at the door around the back not the front door but the one around there go oh yeah we we we’ll get you in the exclusive door Chris great to catch up man thanks for joining us we appreciate you good to see you guys as always

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