Inside The Wizards

Analyst Shocked Lakers, Wizards Haven't Made Trade

The Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers have been linked in trade rumors, but no deal has been made yet.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Jan 8, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards are approaching the NBA Trade Deadline in just a few weeks, but it's been nearly a month since veteran center Jonas Valanciunas was deemed eligible to be traded.

Valanciunas, 32, signed a three-year contract with the Wizards over the offseason, but he is seen as a large trade target going into the deadline.

CBS Sports analyst Sam Quinn is surprised that the Los Angeles Lakers haven't made a deal for him yet.

"Frankly, it's a tad surprising that Valanciunas isn't already a Laker," Quinn writes. "What are the Wizards doing with a solid, backup center in the middle of this aggressive tank? Someone is going to be able to swipe a solid 15- or 20-minute-per-game offensive big man before the deadline arrives. At this point we all know who Valanciunas is and isn't. He won't defend in space, but he's big, strong and has craft near the basket."

The Wizards knew that signing Valanciunas would give them a trade chip throughout the course of his tenure with the team. However, the Wizards may prefer him as a big man who can eat up some minutes while also serving as a mentor to some of the younger members of the roster like No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.

This means that the Wizards can be picky with offers that come in their direction because it's not like they are losing much by keeping him on board.

The Lakers made a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith last month from the Brooklyn Nets that cut into some of their assets, but they still remain a possibility for a potential Valanciunas deal. However, knowing that the Lakers were willing to spend for Finney-Smith means the Wizards should expect Los Angeles to also pay up for Valanciunas.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News