Sacramento Kings: Would Jonas Valanciunas Be a Good Fit?

Despite being the betting favorites to land the Pelicans big man, the Kings should stay away.

Apr 24, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) runs down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder. / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Sacramento Kings will search for their missing pieces this offseason as they fell short of the playoffs in a year with high expectations. That raises the main question: what are the missing pieces? The Kings seem to need an upgrade at the power forward position as an aging Harrison Barnes holds them back at times, as well as a more consistent backcourt partner to pair with star point guard De'Aaron Fox.

Recent reports suggest the Kings may look to fill another hole though. The Kings have emerged as betting favorites to land New Orleans Pelicans C Jonas Valanciunas, but why Sacramento?

The Sacramento Kings are the favorites to win the Jonas Valanciunas sweepstakes, per @BovadaOfficial

Sacramento Kings: +400
Los Angeles Clippers: +500
Charlotte Hornets: +550
Utah Jazz: +550
Chicago Bulls: +550
Washington Wizards: +650
Oklahoma City Thunder: +650
Brooklyn Nets:… pic.twitter.com/BNFLEZUohC

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 18, 2024

The clear connection between Valanciunas and the Kings is that New Orleans' big man and Sacramento's star center Domantas Sabonis will be playing together for the Lithuanian National Team this summer as they attempt to earn their spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Thanks to the Olympics, Sacramento's front office will have the opportunity to gauge how Valanciunas and Sabonis play together, but on paper, it does not seem like the best fit. Neither Sabonis nor Valanciunas are known to stretch the floor, and having them on the court together does not seem like it would lead to success.

Valanciunas, 32, averaged 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in three seasons as a Pelican, but as the 12-year NBA veteran enters free agency, he is expected to find a new home. Valanciunas is coming off a two-year deal worth $30 million, and while his value as a free agent is unknown, he is likely too expensive to treat as a backup center to Sabonis.

Valanciunas is one of the toughest players in the league, right next to Sabonis at the top of the list. Having the two battling in the paint would give opposing defenses nightmares, but realistically, Sabonis and Valanciunas could not co-exist.

Throughout his three seasons in New Orleans, Valanciunas has shown an improved jump shot, knocking down three-pointers at a 34-percent rate. A Sabonis-Valanciunas frontcourt would be similar to the Sabonis-Myles Turner frontcourt when Sacramento's big man played for the Indiana Pacers, and that experiment was unsuccessful.

If their pairing in the FIBA Olympics Qualifying tournament in early July proves successful, then the Kings could be more inclined to give Valanciunas a shot if he is still on the market. Until then, Valanciunas to Sacramento seems like a risky idea.

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