Kings Land Veteran Center Jonas Valanciunas in Massive Trade

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The Sacramento Kings have acquired veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas from the Washington Wizards.

More news: Spurs Land Star De'Aaron Fox, Bulls Send Zach LaVine to Kings in Blockbuster Trade

ESPN's Shams Charania shared via X.

Jonas Valančiūnas
Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Washington Wizards plays against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on February 03, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Valančiūnas has been on the trading block for quite a while, and the Wizards, who are the worst team in the league, have finally traded away their secondary center.

The Wizards, in return, will get Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks.

Cissoko was a part of the De'Aaron Fox deal on Sunday that landed him in Sacramento.

The Kings traded away their All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox to the Spurs in a three-team deal that also involved Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Kings forward Kevin Huerter, and multiple draft picks.

The Kings received LaVine, a 2025 first-round pick (via Hornets), a 2027 first-round pick (via Spurs), a 2031 first-round pick (via Timberwolves), a 2025 second-round pick (via Bulls), a 2028 second-round pick (via Nuggets), and a 2028 second-round pick (via Bulls).

Valančiūnas, 32, signed a three-year, $30 million contract as part of a sign-and-trade agreement with the Wizards. New Orleans acquired a 2027 protected second-round pick in return.

The contract is only guaranteed through next season, with a non-guaranteed $10 million slated for 2026-27.

The Lithuania native is now with his fifth team in the league and his third time being with a Western Conference team.

The Wizards have lost their veteran center; however, it was clear that his time was winding down in the nation's capital. Since the moment Valančiūnas signed his deal with the Wizards, his days were numbered.

Many other teams were interested in trading for Valančiūnas, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and other top teams who have title aspirations.

In the season, 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.

Although Valančiūnas has the size to dominate in the paint, his rebounding has diminished compared to the last handful of seasons. 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.

This is the Kings' second impactful move ahead of the deadline.

It's unclear if the Kings will continue to make moves as the deadline approaches.

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About the writer

Ricardo Sandoval is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is sports content. Ricardo has been with Newsweek since 2024 and also writes for On SI for the Lakers, Bucks, Celtics, Pacers, and Trail Blazers sites. Ricardo also is a staff writer for Dodgers Nation. He is a graduate of California State University Northridge. You can get in touch with Ricardo by emailing r.klein@newsweek.com. You can also follow Ricardo on X @_RicardoSand


Ricardo Sandoval is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is sports content. Ricardo has been with Newsweek since 2024 and also writes ... Read more