The Sacramento Kings are in action on Sunday night against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix, but they've suffered a significant setback in their rotation.

Shooting guard Malik Monk was injured when he inadvertently stepped on Mason Plumlee's foot, and his ankle twisted awkwardly. His physical distress was immediately evident, and he hobbled to the sidelines before eventually departing the game.

According to an official update from the Kings, Monk's night is over and he will not be returning to the game. At the time of his injury, Monk had played in eight minutes and had a pair of assists along with four points.

While the extent of his injury isn't yet clear, the fact that he won't be returning on Sunday night leaves the Kings with a significant absence in their second unit. So far this season, Monk has averaged 13.6 points per game and 2.9 assists per game.

Kings SG Malik Monk is the reigning NBA 6th Man of the Year runner-up 

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (0) shoots the basketball against the New York Knicks during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

After earning consensus All-American honors in his lone season playing collegiately with Kentucky, Monk went pro and was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

However, he ran afoul of the NBA's Substance Abuse policy and was suspended indefinitely in February of 2020; he would be reinstated in June of the same year after being found to be compliant in the League's anti-drug program.

Eventually taking his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers, Monk appeared in 76 games in the 2021-22 NBA season (starting 37 of them) and averaged 13.8 points per game.

He joined the Sacramento Kings on a two-year, $19 million deal in 2022. After averaging a career-best 15.4 points per game and 5.1 assists per game while shooting 44.3% from the field, he earned another multi-year deal with Sacramento. While terms weren't disclosed, it was revealed the deal was a four-year pact worth $78 million.

He also finished as the runner-up as the NBA's 6th Man of the Year.