Several teams like Jonas Valanciunas, but the Wizards want a substantial offer
Washington Wizards big man Jonas Valanciunas continues to be a hot name on the rumor mill as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. The Denver Nuggets are one of several Western Conference squads who are interested in the Lithuanian international, via ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.
“Along with having interest in [Toronto Raptors forward Chris] Boucher, Denver is also interested in Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, sources said. Many teams around the league have expressed interest in Valanciunas, including the [Golden State] Warriors and [Los Angeles] Lakers,” Siegel reported. “Out of all the teams, the Lakers have been, and continue to be, the veteran center’s top destination. The [Los Angeles] Clippers have also been mentioned by multiple scouts as a possible suitor for Valanciunas in a buy-low spot behind Ivica Zubac.”
Valanciunas would be a perfect fit for any of those four teams as a backup center. The 32-year-old’s 11.6 points on 56% shooting and 8.1 rebounds per game off the bench for Washington this year show that he’d be useful for a contending squad that needs help at the position.
The Warriors, though, need Valanciunas the most. Although they’re still trying to win another championship for as long as 36-year-old Steph Curry plays at a high level, they’ve sputtered to a 20-20 start thus far. Furthermore, they don’t have a true center in their regular rotation.
“Golden State is certainly the most intriguing team connected to Valanciunas due to their clear need for frontcourt help,” Siegel continued. “This is the main area of focus for the Warriors entering the final weeks leading up to the trade deadline, as Valanciunas is on a long list of potential frontcourt targets that includes Nikola Vucevic, Myles Turner, Olynyk, Boucher, Williams, and Collins, sources said. No matter what players the Warriors target, Golden State doesn’t have much desire to trade away first-round assets at this juncture.”
That last sentence may prevent the Warriors and any other team that doesn’t want to part with valuable draft capital, from landing Valanciunas anytime soon.
Wizards don’t need to trade Jonas Valanciunas right now
Washington is balancing the value of having accomplished veterans to mentor its young players with the benefit of trading said veterans for draft capital. However, Valanciunas’ three-year, $30 million deal runs through 2027, via Spotrac. That not only gives the Wizards plenty of time to find a trade partner, but the former New Orleans Pelican’s $10 million average annual salary is easy to manage financially.
That’s why Washington will only trade him for the right price, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins and David Aldridge.
“Washington’s front office would want a draft pick (or picks) that would appreciably move the team’s rebuild forward — not, for instance, late second-round picks,” they reported. “But it will be hard to find a suitor, at least before the usual warm-up to trade talks in the final week or so before the deadline, who’d be willing to go much higher.”
However, the Wizards may also make an exception depending on the situation.
“If any incoming contract in a Valanciunas’ deal would not impair the Wizards’ long-term payroll flexibility, then more than one early second-round pick might do the trick,” they continued. “One league source, whose team is not currently involved with the Wizards in discussions about Valanciunas, believes that two second-rounders will wind up being the maximum Washington can get for him.”
Regardless, Washington isn’t desperate at the moment. While stockpiling valuable picks is good for rebuilding, Valanciunas is also a good player for No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr to learn from. The 19-year-old Sarr won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honors in December, so the current situation is working.