Inside The Wizards

Report: Lakers Still Interested in Wizards Trade

The Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers could become trade partners.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers have been linked in trade rumors in regards to veteran center Jonas Valanciunas.

The Lakers' chances of trading for Valanciunas took a hit a few days ago after Los Angeles acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton from the Brooklyn Nets for D'Angelo Russell, a player who would have fit in a deal with Washington.

Even though the Lakers made that trade, HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto is reporting that they are still interested in acquiring Valanciunas.

"Having acquired the wing defender they sought in Finney-Smith, the next item for the Lakers on their list is a backup center. The Lakers will continue to try and acquire Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas or another backup center on the trade market with their remaining future second-round draft capital, and Gabe Vincent is expected to be dangled in talks as well, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto writes.

Would Vincent and a future draft pick be enough to pry Valanciunas away from the Wizards? Probably not.

It would likely take an offer that would blow the Wizards away to get Valanciunas anyway at this point considering he is still under contract with Washington for next season. This isn't one that does that.

Of course, there is still a lot that needs to be played out with the league still five weeks away from the trade deadline, but the Lakers are going to need to push in as many chips as possible to make a play from Valanciunas, and they just gave away a good amount to get Finney-Smith and Milton in the building.

The Wizards should listen to as many Valanciunas offers that come into the fray, but they can be selective and picky on which ones they truly are considering and which ones are just noise.

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