Malik Monk went on to play for two different teams in his high school career. Monk first attended East Poinsett County High School in Lepanto, Arkansas. He showed instant star power there, tallying 22.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game as a freshman. Monk also helped them to a 25-8 record and a Class 2A State Championship appearance. Following his one year at East Poinsett, Monk transferred to Bentonville High School in Bentonville, Arkansas.

At Bentonville, Monk continued to explode statistically. As a junior, Monk averaged 26.6 points per game for his new school. Monk also played for the Arkansas Wings Elite, an AAU affiliate in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball Circuit. Malik’s high school career earned him an invitation to the 2016 McDonald’s All-American game, as well as a 9th overall rank in his class. 

Malik Monk announced that he would be taking his talents to Lexington, Kentucky to play for the Kentucky Wildcats via Twitter on November 18, 2015. As a freshman, Monk showed he was a true scorer instantly. On December 17, 2016, in a matchup of the Blue Bloods, Monk poured in a University of Kentucky freshman record 47 points in a win over North Carolina. Less than two weeks later, Monk added a 34 point night over SEC foe Ole Miss. He did not stop his SEC barrage there; Monk added 33 points against the Georgia Bulldogs, 27 points on South Carolina, 33 points over Florida, and 27 points in a win over Vanderbilt. Monk’s incredible scoring run helped him earn the titles of SEC Player and Freshman of the Year, and granted him a spot on the First-Team All-SEC and SEC-All Freshman teams.

Malik Monk was another one-and-done Kentucky player, and entered his name into the 2017 NBA Draft. 

The Charlotte Hornets grabbed the promising scorer with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Malik Monk inked his rookie deal with the Hornets on July 2, 2017. He did not play the Summer League due to an ankle injury. During his rookie season, his first big day came in just his fourth game. On October 25, 2017, Malik poured in 17 points on the Denver Nuggets, while adding 2 steals and 2 assists. Monk followed this performance up with a 25 point barrage against the Milwaukee Bucks less than one week later. Monk was assigned to the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate, for one game. He tallied 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in that game. In the 2019-20 season, Monk was averaging 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists before being suspended indefinitely for his violation of the NBA’s substance use policy.