Washington Wizards Signing Jonas Valanciunas Adds Unique Wrinkle For Alex Sarr

The Wizards No. 2 overall pick can learn from the recent center signing.

Apr 19, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts to a foul called on him against the Sacramento Kings in the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards are undergoing a rebuild, and they recently had their first bit of lottery luck. While they did secure the No. 2 overall pick, they happened to do so in an underwhelming 2024 NBA Draft cycle.

With the No. 2 overall pick, the Wizards secured the services of Alex Sarr, a 7-foot center from France with high upside all around. They also traded for the draft rights of No. 14 overall pick Carlton "Bub" Carrington and the No. 24 overall pick for Kyshawn George.

Each of the three rookies project to be key members of the Wizards' long-term franchise plans and goals. So, one would assume they would have been quite quiet during the free agency opening, simply sitting on their hands and allowing their young talent to eat up most of the playing time while developing their games.

Instead, the Wizards won a bidding war, signing 32-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas, a former member of the New Orleans Pelicans, to a three-year, $30 million deal. Now, Sarr is a 7-foot center, making the fit quite unique.

Valanciunas adds two obvious things in the DMV -- size and experience. The older center adds strength alongside Sarr, who is just north of 200 pounds. He could easily play a power forward role with his potential on the perimeter.

While Sarr is an incredible defender, having Valanciunas guard bigger centers would allow Sarr to float on the defensive side of the ball, maximizing his versatility and ability to cover plenty of ground. Obviously, there will be times where Valanciunas isn't on the court with Sarr, allowing him to develop his traditional post defense, too.

At a glance, the fit between the two is odd. But digging deeper, it could force Sarr to develop his perimeter game on the offensive side of the ball while maximizing his mobility on defense. Having Valnciunas around for the three rookies and the rest of the young core could prove invaluable.

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