Kings Trade for Wizards Center Jonas Valanciunas, Bring in Some Much-Needed Size

For many Kings fans, losing De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs was a tough pill to swallow. Though Zach LaVine is a more than capable guard who’s able to stretch the floor and play tough defense, Fox is one of the most dynamic players in the league.

Despite that, they received a significant haul for the speedy point, and did so while still bringing in another all-star to take his place. The move signaled the team still believed in the current season and, despite losing Fox, wasn’t throwing in the towel.

(Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)

That was then further reiterated on Wednesday when they made a second deal. While the trade certainly won’t make headlines in the same way some of the other huge swaps have over the past few days, it’s a great play by a team still focused on the coming months.

Sacramento traded away two second round picks (one in 2028 and one in 2029) along with forward Siy Cissoko for Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas.

Solid, All the Way Around

Valanciunas is not one of the biggest names on the trade market, nor is he someone who’s going to make a lot of headlines. Still, he’s exactly what the Kings needed. They are not a team who’s given up. They are a team on the brink who’s more than happy to fight for a playoff spot.

Valanciunas fits into that picture because he’s a solid, well-rounded player. He’s not going to take over games, nor is he going to single handedly carry a team, but he does a little bit of everything extremely well. He’s big, knows how to score, plays good defense, and adds a lot of size to the middle of the key.

Despite his age, the big man is averaging 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 54.7 percent shooting. He’s also 24th in the NBA in rebounds per game, 19th in total rebounds, 19th in field goal percentage, 16th in total offensive rebounds, 20th in total defensive rebounds, and seventh in free throw percentage.

Those placements show that he’s one of the most efficient players in the current NBA. He’s not flashy, but he doesn’t need to be to make an impact. He’s a strong hustle player who knows how to operate within a larger system. That’s perfect for the current Kings.

Finding a New Identity

Valanciunas slots perfectly into Sacramento’s system, which is important because the team is not yet sure how they’ll operate without Fox. LaVine brings a lot to the table, but fielding a new five is always a tricky prospect in a league like the NBA.

They have plenty of strong guards beyond LaVine, including DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, and Keon Ellis, but they have struggled to find some depth down low. They have a bonafide star in Domantas Sabonis, but almost nothing beyond what he brings to the table.

The lack of size has been a big problem for the Kings, and it continues to rear its ugly head. The team runs a quick-hit offense under interim coach Doug Christie, but there’s only so much they can do when they aren’t able to play tough defense or keep their opponents away from the rim.

Valanciunas does all of that and more. He’s also a capable scorer, which is important for taking some pressure off of Sabonis, and he’s particularly good at pulling in rebounds. The more second-chance points a team can get, the better off they’ll be.

Even if the big man only gives the Kings a few extra possessions a game, those possessions can easily be the difference between winning and losing. That goes double for a team who’s struggling as much in close contests as Sacramento has this year.

Not Done Yet

Something else worth noting is that Valanciunas averages 20.1 minutes per game this season. That playtime is another reason the Kings were interested in him. He’ll be able to give Sabonis time to rest and better pace the game.

The Kings now also have the option to run multiple centers at once. Though that’s unlikely, the added versatility provides the team with even more options and gives them different looks if they want to switch things up.

Sacramento is not a team that has been in the postseason conversation, and losing Fox did not help that matter. Adding Valanciunas shows they still have enough fight in them to regroup and make a postseason push.

While they still might not get there when the dust settles, and while they might not make it past the play-in game, there’s no doubt that Sacramento is trying to save their season. For fans and players alike, that drive to win should be more than enough.