Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings
02/05/2025 05:06 PM
The Sacramento Kings have acquired center Jonas Valanciunas from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. This trade was first reported by NBA insider Marc Stein.
Valanciunas, 32, had been a hot topic of trade discussions around the league in recent days leading up to the NBA trade deadline. After signing a three-year contract with the Wizards in free agency, it was expected that Washington would look to flip the veteran at the deadline for second-round draft assets.
Along with acquiring Cissoko, a young French wing with potential for growth, the Wizards are also adding two second-round picks after the Kings added a handful of them in their trade with the San Antonio Spurs involving De’Aaron Fox.
Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is now reunited with his Lithuanian national team teammate in Valanciunas.
In a total of 49 games this season, Valanciunas has averaged 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in roughly 20.1 minutes per game. He now creates a very strong one-two frontcourt punch for the Kings, providing much-needed depth behind Sabonis as a veteran with a very similar style of play.
Valanciunas had drawn a lot of interest around the league throughout the trade period. In addition to being mentioned with the Los Angeles Lakers, the veteran center was also on the Denver Nuggets’ radar, according to Jake Fischer.
This trade for the Wizards comes hours after they acquired Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson from the Milwaukee Bucks for Kyle Kuzma.
Washington continues to rebuild by stockpiling unwanted contracts and draft assets, which they have once again done in this trade with the Kings. Cissoko is only 20 years old and will be turning 21 in April. The 44th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has spent a lot of time developing behind the scenes and in the G League early on in his career.
He now joins Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr as other French players on the Wizards’ roster.
Sacramento has continued to round out their roster with win-now talents in the wake of trading Fox. The Kings have 13 players under contract with little room until reaching the first apron.
The post Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints.
