Inside The Wizards

Wizards Warned to Ignore Growing Trade Suggestion

This center will be a popular trade candidate for the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 18, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) steals the ball from Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 18, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) steals the ball from Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards are expected to be one of the bigger sellers in this year's NBA trade season and among the potential names on the block is veteran center Jonas Valanciunas.

Valanciunas, 32, is averaging 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the Wizards this season and is one of the more intriguing people for other teams on Washington's roster.

Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Wizards over the offseason, so he cannot be traded until Dec. 15 based on league rules. However, this doesn't mean Washington should trade him. In fact, Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes that the Wizards should keep Valanciunas past the trade deadline.

"There is value in having veterans on a rebuilding roster to insulate and optimize younger players," Favale writes. "Yes, listen to offers for him. But having Alex Sarr as the only NBA-caliber center on the roster can also do a disservice to him and the team. Moving Valanciunas does not clear much-needed runway."

It depends on the kind of offers that Valanciunas courts, but given the fact that he's on a three-year deal, the Wizards can ask for more than what would normally be asked for him if he was on an expiring contract. Valanciunas should fetch at least a first-round pick and a young player, if not two first-round picks, even if the second one is heavily protected or a pick swap.

Valanciunas has a lot of value as a member of the team, so the Wizards will need to gauge how important he is for the roster by the time offers start coming in for him in late January and early February.

Valanciunas and the Wizards are back in action on Friday against the defending champion Boston Celtics. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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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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