Washington Wizards fans aren’t exactly sure how to feel about the coming season. There’s no clear direction when it comes to roster construction after blowing up their John Wall-Bradley Beal duo a couple of years ago.
Jordan Poole isn’t cut out to be the centerpiece for the Wizards, so fans were hopeful that the draft would help them better see how the future would pan out. They got their future man in Alex Sarr, but his performances in the Summer League left a lot to be desired.
While the front office is struggling to put together a competitive roster, they managed to surprisingly sign Jonas Valanciunas to a deal that would help alleviate many of the Wizards’ frontcourt issues.
Many would argue that it’s a weird move for the Lithuanian to head to the Wizards, but there’s a clear reason why he inked a deal with the team.
Washington Wizards plan to use Jonas Valanciunas as a trade piece in the coming season
Valanciunas had a strong season for the New Orleans Pelicans, so there is definite interest for his services among the league’s better teams. Jonas choosing to play for the Wizards when the team isn’t competing for the title is strange.
However, Sir Charles in Charge’s Michael Saenz revealed that there’s more to the move than just getting the center to try and shore up Washington’s interior defense:
According to a recent report, the Wizards might be already counting down the days before they can start exploring the trade market for Valanciunas.
If this report is indeed true and that the Wizards are already open to the idea of trading Valanciunas when he becomes eligible to be moved, this is all the evidence we need to suggest that Washington signed the veteran center with the intention to trade him at some point soon.
Looking at Valanciunas’ stats last season, it’s understandable why the Wizards would consider getting assets in exchange. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in his most recent campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans.
With teams like the Los Angeles Lakers looking into Jonas’ services earlier in the offseason, it’s easy to see why the Washington Wizards would want to sign him for that purpose. Whether they get great returns for him is an entirely different question.
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