For a vast majority of the 2024-25 regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed like a lock to acquire Jonas Valanciunas. LeBron James asked the Lakers to add Valanciunas during the offseason and Anthony Davis' persistent requests for help at center seemed to lead the purple and gold back in that direction.
Davis has since been traded, however, and the Lakers' top target on the open market has now officially been moved elsewhere.
Valanciunas, 31, seemed to represent the ideal resolution to Los Angeles' lack of ideal interior depth. That's due in no small part to the fact that he's playing on a team-friendly contract, with 2024-25 marking the first season of the three-year, $30,295,000 deal he signed with the Washington Wizards in July.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers missed out on trading for the productive big man, as the division rival Sacramento Kings stole their thunder.
The Washington Wizards are trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2025
It's admittedly unclear if the Lakers still viewed Valanciunas as a viable option after swapping Davis for Luka Doncic, but the asking price was as low and affordable as expected.
Lakers miss out on Jonas Valanciunas as Sacramento Kings steal their 5
Valanciunas has appeared in all 49 of the Wizards' games during the 2024-25 regular season. During that time, he's recorded averages of 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 offensive boards, and 2.2 assists in just 20.0 minutes per game on 54.7 percent shooting from the field.
Those numbers translate to phenomenal averages of 20.7 points, 14.8 rebounds, 4.4 offensive boards, and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes.
Among players who have appeared in at least 30 games, Valanciunas ranks No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage. The Lakers, meanwhile, are No. 22 in the Association in second-chance points allowed per contest.
As such, even if one were to discount the contributions Valanciunas provides as an elite post scorer and productive offensive rebounder and playmaker, his defensive rebounding could've filled a void.
Instead, Valanciunas will head to a division rival that stands to benefit immensely from his arrival. The Kings were 25-24 at the time of the acquisition, sitting at eighth in the Western Conference standings and just 2.5 games back of avoiding the Play-In Tournament altogether.
With new acquisitions in Zach LaVine and Valanciunas, interim head coach Doug Christie will look to continue to reinvent one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Sacramento is 12-5 over its past 17 games, rapidly closing the distance between itself and the postseason. It's fair to question the sustainability of that success due to the fact that they traded franchise player De'Aaron Fox, but they've actively moved to improve in other areas.
Unfortunately, that's been to the detriment of a Lakers team that once seemed all but guaranteed to acquire Valanciunas.
