Malik Monk Reportedly Eyed by Pistons in Potential Schroder Sign-and-Trade with Kings

Malik Monk could be heading to the Detroit Pistons.

After Fred Katz of The Athletic reported Dennis Schröder agreed to sign with the Sacramento Kings on Monday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Monk was an "emerging option" for Detroit.

Fischer noted such a deal "could turn into a sign-and-trade that brings Dennis Schröder to Sacramento."

The Pistons could use the perimeter shooting that Monk brings, especially if Malik Beasley isn't on the team during the 2025-26 campaign.

Beasley shot 41.6 percent from deep and was third in the league in catch-and-shoot attempts last season, per NBA.com, and figured to be a return candidate for Detroit this offseason even as he hit free agency.

However, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Sunday that contract talks between the two sides were paused because the U.S. District Attorney’s office opened an investigation into Beasley regarding gambling allegations.

Yet the need for perimeter shooting alongside Cade Cunningham remains, as Fischer highlighted when further reporting on the Monk possibility:

Monk averaged 17.2 points, 5.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds a night for the Kings last season while shooting 32.5 percent from deep. While the three-point percentage doesn't jump off the page, he is a career 35 percent shooter from long range and connected on 40.1 percent of his triples as recently as the 2020-21 campaign.

And playing next to Cunningham would likely lead to plenty of open looks as defenders collapse on the point guard's penetration. That is one reason Beasley attempted so many catch-and-shoot looks last season, and Monk could do the same in 2025-26.

The Eastern Conference is fairly wide open heading into the upcoming season given the roster uncertainty and injuries for a number of presumed contenders, and the Pistons could look to take a jump after reaching the first round of the playoffs in 2024-25.

Adding a veteran secondary scorer like Monk could help them do just that.