Kings’ Cardwell, Monk Dealing With Nagging Injuries

Little nagging injuries are piling up for the Sacramento Kings this preseason: Dylan Cardwell will miss two weeks and Malik Monk is dealing with soreness.

Cardwell has a left calf strain, per KCRA News' Sean Cunningham. He missed Monday's practice, and Monk (left ankle soreness) is working his way back and hopes to make his preseason debut soon.

Calf-related injuries have become scarier since Achilles tendon tears have increased over the last several seasons. Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton tore their Achilles in the 2025 playoffs.

Ariel Hukporti recently tore his Achilles in the Philadelphia 76ers' preseason loss to the Brooklyn Nets last Thursday.

Sacramento's center depth takes another significant hit. Maxime Raynaud is also out for at least two weeks with a right patellar subluxation that he sustained against the Golden State Warriors last Saturday.

Cardwell is a defensive anchor, a skill set the team desperately needs. He averaged 1.5 blocks across 44 games last season, which would have put him in a six-way tie had he played 70% of the Kings' games.

Defense has been the team's Achilles' heel for several seasons, and it reached an all-time low. Sacramento finished with the third-worst defensive rating in NBA history, much in part because of injuries.

Monk is a microwave scorer and reliable ball-handler off the bench. He can run the pick-and-roll, the dribble handoff and catch-and-shoot.

The 28-year-old developed into one of the NBA's best sixth men when he signed with the Kings in the 2022 offseason. Monk lost a historically close Sixth Man of the Year award race to Naz Reid by two first-place votes.

He's arguably a perfect fit in a free-flowing offense with Domantas Sabonis, but the veteran guard's role decreased last season, even with the injury bug.

Monk played 22 minutes, the lowest amount of action he's logged since the 2020-21 season with the Charlotte Hornets.

His future with the team is likely in jeopardy. General manager Scott Perry wants to prioritize the youth's development, which will come at the cost of the veterans traded to other teams.

Sacramento attempted to trade for Jonathan Kuminga last offseason, when he and Golden State did not see eye to eye on a contract extension. The two teams negotiated for an extended period, but could not agree on pick protections.

Although Perry has tried to trade Monk, he is the team's best bench player, and they need all the help they can get next season.

The injury bug is striking Sacramento once more, coming during a season where the team wants to win games and compete for increased odds for a lottery pick.