Inside The Wizards

Jonas Valanciunas Reveals Wizards Mindset

Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas is a veteran on a young team.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) fight for position during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) fight for position during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas is in a position he hasn't found himself in during his 13 years in the NBA.

Valanciunas, 32, signed a three-year, $30.3 million deal with the Wizards back in the summer, and he knew coming to the nation's capital would mean being a mentor for a young team going through a rebuild.

With the trade deadline coming in a little more than five weeks, Valanciunas is a hot name on the market, but he is unsure of what the future brings, so he is putting all of his focus into the Wizards.

“What can happen in the future, maybe tomorrow, maybe even today, I don’t know. If it happens, it happens," Valanciunas said h/t Posting and Toasting.

“It’s a young team still putting the pieces together. Everything can happen.”

Given the fact that he's on a three-year contract, Valanciunas knows there is a good chance he may not be traded before Feb. 6, so he's prepared to stay in D.C. to see the team's rebuild play out a little while longer.

“You’ve got to stay patient. But we get better, we practice and the young guys drive me to get better, too," Valanciunas said.

The Wizards have appreciated Valanciunas and his veteran leadership all season long. Having him on the team and playing on the court brings value to everyone, especially No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr.

The Wizards will receive plenty of calls regarding Valanciunas' availability over the next few weeks, but they have the leverage given the contract. Washington should only trade Valanciunas if there is an offer that blows them away, and there's no guarantee that phone call is coming from any team in the league.

Valanciunas and the Wizards play their first game in the new year tomorrow against the Chicago Bulls.

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

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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.

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