Jonas Valanciunas was a target for the Los Angeles Lakers this past offseason, and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reports the team is still very much interested in acquiring him. Scotto believes the Lakers will look to land Valanciunas by offering Gabe Vincent and multiple second-round picks to the Washington Wizards.
“Vincent has been a disappointment for the Lakers since signing a three-year, $33 million deal due to injuries and inefficient shooting,” Scotto wrote. “Los Angeles will look to include him as a salary filler with draft pick compensation in trade talks. Keep an eye on Los Angeles potentially dangling Vincent and future second-round picks to try and land Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, a coveted Lakers target.”
I am not sure that would be a good enough package. As Scotto pointed out, Vincent hasn’t really made a positive impression since joining the Lakers in 2023. He has spent a lot of time on the sidelines due to injury and even when he has played, he has struggled.
Vincent is averaging just 3.2 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.6 steals per game in this 2024-25 season while shooting 35.1% from the field and 24.0% from beyond the arc. It would be an understatement to say he isn’t a valuable trade asset.
Those second-round picks the Lakers would offer aren’t all that valuable either, which is why I am not sure that the Wizards would accept this package. Sure, they are in rebuild mode and aren’t desperate to hold on to Valanciunas, who signed a three-year, $30.3 million deal in the offseason, but they can get more than this for him.
Valanciunas is averaging 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game for the Wizards in 2024-25. The 32-year-old would be a fine backup big man for quite a few contenders and I don’t expect him to remain in Washington for too much longer. He will be eligible to be traded from Dec. 15 and should find a new home before the trade deadline.
Lakers fans should hope that Los Angeles is Valanciunas’ new home. Their team’s backups for star big man Anthony Davis are Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, and Christian Koloko. Hayes and Wood are currently injured but even if they were healthy, I wouldn’t have much confidence in them or Koloko holding their own come playoffs.
Valanciunas, meanwhile, has played in 58 playoff games in his career and has averaged 13.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in them. He’d be someone who you can rely on when Davis goes to the bench and could even start next to the star against certain teams.
To land Valanciunas, though, the Lakers will have to give up one of the two first-round picks they can trade (with protections), especially if Vincent is the player they’re offering. The issue with that, however, is that parting with one of those picks would ensure the Lakers will not be able to land a third star if the opportunity to land one arises later in the season. So, they have got a lot to think about.
For now, though, the 12-9 Lakers will be focusing on getting back to winning ways when they take on the 9-10 Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET.
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