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Jonas Valančiūnas is joining the Sacramento Kings for their push to the playoffs.
The Washington Wizards are trading Valančiūnas to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks provided more details:
Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
Sacramento is using most of their $12.8M non-tax mid-level exception to acquire the $9.9M salary of Jonas Valanciunas.
Sources tell ESPN that the Kings are sending a 2028 Denver second (if 34-60) and their own second in 2029 to Washington.
The Denver second was acquired from…
Valančiūnas has averaged 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists through 49 games, mostly coming off the bench as a backup and mentor for rookie center Alexandre Sarr.
His rebounding is down from the double-digit averages he posted for four straight seasons between 2019 and 2023, but Valančiūnas remains an efficient contributor. He is shooting 54.7 percent from the field, including 56.7 percent from the two-point range, during his 13th campaign in the NBA.
The Wizards are losing an important veteran in the trade, but will add draft capital to help continue the franchise’s ongoing rebuild around young players like Sarr and Kyshawn George.
Valančiūnas is playing in the first campaign of the three-year, $30 million deal he inked in a sign-and-trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Wizards ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The contract is only guaranteed through next season, with a non-guaranteed $10 million slated for 2026-27.
General manager Monte McNair reportedly told the Kings ahead of the season that he wanted to see the team focus on offensive rebounding in 2024. The team then ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in the category in the early stretch of the season.
By adding Valančiūnas, the Kings can now expect more rebounding and additional scoring depth as the franchise works to build a contender around De’Aaron Fox.
Fox has informed the team he wants to see a plan for playoff contention before signing an extension ahead of the 2026 expiration of his contract, per Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The Kings could be hoping adding center depth behind Domantas Sabonis can help convince Fox this team is ready for an eventual postseason run.
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