<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wizards-news-washington-waives-player-acquired-kings-jonas-valanciunas-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards waive player acquired from Kings in Jonas Valanciunas trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Washington-waives-player-acquired-from-Kings-in-Jonas-Valanciunas-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards waive player acquired from Kings in Jonas Valanciunas trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T08:52:42-08:00">February 6th, 8:52am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T08:52:42-08:00">February 6th, 8:52am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards may make a few moves before the day of the trade deadline, as it looks like they’re going to focus on their young players for the remainder of the season. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-milwaukee-kyle-kuzma-trade-knicks-center">trading Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks</a>, they later traded Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings. In return, the Wizards acquired Sidy Cissoko, but they’ve <a href="https://x.com/MikeAScotto/status/1887511169306333510" rel="noopener">decided to waive him</a>, according to Michael Scotto.</p><p>Cissoko was the 44th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and played in 29 games for the San Antonio Spurs. With him now being waived, that gives the Wizards an open roster spot to use in another trade. The Wizards could always bring back Cissoko on a two-way contract, as he’s an intriguing player who has skills on the defensive side of the ball.</p><h2>Wizards looking to start fresh with young core</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jonas-Valanciunas.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Wizards made a flurry of moves on the day before the trade deadline, and their first order of business was trading Kyle Kuzma to the Milwaukee Bucks. Kuzma had been in trade rumors since the start of the season, and several teams were looking to acquire him. The Bucks came in at the end and were able to acquire him, and he should be a big help to their team as they try to stay competitive throughout the season. In return, the Wizards were able to get Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson, and it looks like they may be staying put on the team for now.</p><p>The writing was on the wall for Middleton on the Bucks, as he just couldn’t stay healthy and was getting older. At one point, head coach Doc Rivers thought that it was best to move Middleton to the bench and not play him extensive minutes to keep him fresh. As for Johnson, he’s shown the ability to knock down shots at a high rate and could be a good piece for the Wizards’ future.</p><p>Later on, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-news-wizards-trade-jonas-valanciunas">Wizards traded Jonas Valanciunas</a>, another player who had been in trade rumors since the start of the season. The hope was that Valanciunas could help Alex Sarr early on in his rookie season, and he may have been successful in doing so after watching how he’s played over the past few weeks.</p><p>The Wizards are buying into the young core they have with Sarr, Jordan Poole, Bilal Coulibaly, and more, but they also have some veterans, such as Middleton, who can help them throughout the season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards waive player acquired from Kings in Jonas Valanciunas trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wizards-trade-grade-jonas-valanciunas-deal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards trade grade for Jonas Valanciunas deal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-trade-grade-for-Jonas-Valanciunas-deal.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards trade grade for Jonas Valanciunas deal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T01:37:43-08:00">February 6th, 1:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T10:05:38-08:00">February 6th, 10:05am</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-2024-offseason-shape-rebuild">Wizards were a young team</a> coming into the season, but now they truly embody the “Wiz Kids” nickname. Hours after landing 20-year-old guard AJ Johnson in the Kyle Kuzma deal, they got fellow 20-year-old guard Sidy Cissoko in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-news-wizards-trade-jonas-valanciunas">Jonas Valanciunas trade</a>.</p><p><b>UPDATE: </b>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-news-washington-waives-player-acquired-kings-jonas-valanciunas-trade">Wizards waived Sissoko</a> on Thursday, which opens a roster spot. However, they could bring him back if he clears waivers.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/wizards-trade-jonas-valanciunas-to-kings" rel="noopener">full details of the</a> latter move are below, via NBA.com.</p><p><b>Wizards receive:</b></p><ul><li>Sidy Cissoko</li><li>2028 second-round pick</li><li>2029 second-round pick</li></ul><p><b>Sacramento Kings receive:</b></p><p>Jonas Valanciunas</p><p>Unlike Kuzma, Valanciunas didn’t spend much time in Washington before getting shipped out. The Wizards acquired the 32-year-old for a 2027 second-rounder in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans on July 6, but he was never a long-term fit. Rather, he was a temporary role model for No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr before Washington likely flipped him at the deadline.</p><p>Valanciunas served as the rookie’s backup, averaging 11.5 points on 54.7% shooting with 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 20 minutes per game before moving to a superior Kings team. The Lithuanian international’s three-year, $30 million contract is now off of the Wizards’ books, so they essentially turned the ’27 pick into Cissoko and two later picks. Rostering Valanciunas for a few months was a bonus.</p><p>While the trade isn’t surprising, Washington’s possible plan with Sissoko is.</p><h2><b>Wizards trade grade: B-</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sidy-Cissoko.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>At first glance, adding another young French international on a team with Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly seems like a fun storyline for the fanbase. Bullets Forever’s Matt Modderno <a href="https://twitter.com/MattModderno/status/1887262914266210693" rel="noopener">even welcomed the</a> former San Antonio Spur with a France-themed post, via social media.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bonjour to the newest member of The Baguette Boys! <a href="https://t.co/GFtNM7EeMP">https://t.co/GFtNM7EeMP</a> <a href="https://t.co/dz7bHFrkKe">pic.twitter.com/dz7bHFrkKe</a></p><p>— Matt Modderno (@MattModderno) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattModderno/status/1887262914266210693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>However, Washington will waive Sissoko <a href="https://x.com/JeffZillgitt/status/1887279650402869438" rel="noopener">for financial flexibility</a>, via USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt. With that being said, the 2023 No. 44 overall pick is making only $1.8 million this season and $2.2 million next year before hitting restricted free agency, and the Wizards are $12.3 million under the first apron. What gives?</p><p>The Wizards may want to use Sissoko’s roster spot to promote one of their two-way players to a fully guaranteed deal, such as Justin Champagnie or Jared Butler. This would make sense, as Champagnie is averaging 7.7 points on 51.1% shooting with 4.6 rebounds across 18.8 minutes per game this season, while Butler has 6.9 points on 48.3% shooting with 2.6 assists across 11.3 minutes. Conversely, Sissoko has just 1.3 points on 50% shooting across 3.2 minutes.</p><p>Washington could then bring the 6-foot-6, 200-pounder back on either a two-way or standard G League deal if he clears waivers. Sissoko averaged 16.3 points on 48.9% shooting with 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists across 27.6 minutes per game for the Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs’ affiliate) this season, so he could shine on the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards’ affiliate) while he develops.</p><p>This grade becomes a “C,” though, if the Wizards cut Sissoko and never bring him back. In that case, they would’ve simply given Sacramento financial relief after it acquired him in the De’Aron Fox deal just three days prior.</p><p>Washington does now <a href="https://www.nba.com/wizards/news/washington-acquires-draft-capital-from-sacramento" rel="noopener">own multiple second-rounders</a> in each year from 2026-30, via the team’s press release. That gives it plenty of capital to either trade or pick players with, but it’s also good to keep young talent that’s already in the league.</p><p>If Sissoko stays, the rebuilding Wizards will have six players 21 years old or younger: him, Johnson, Sarr, Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George. If one or two of them eventually become All-Stars while the others settle as role players, the team will be a perennial contender.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards trade grade for Jonas Valanciunas deal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/kings-news-wizards-trade-jonas-valanciunas');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Wizards-trade-Jonas-Valanciunas-to-Sacramento.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-05T14:06:06-08:00">February 5th, 2:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-05T14:18:02-08:00">February 5th, 2:18pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Sacramento Kings have acquired center Jonas Valanciunas from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. This trade was <a href="https://x.com/TheSteinLine/status/1887258676672799177" rel="noopener">first reported by NBA insider Marc Stein</a>.</p><p>Valanciunas, 32, had been a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jonas-valanciunas-nuggets-other-west-contenders-radars">hot topic of trade discussions around the league</a> in recent days leading up to the NBA trade deadline. After signing a three-year contract with the Wizards in free agency, it was expected that Washington would look to flip the veteran at the deadline for second-round draft assets.</p><p>Along with acquiring Cissoko, a young French wing with potential for growth, the Wizards are also adding two second-round picks after the Kings added a handful of them in their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-news-deaaron-fox-trade-spurs-zach-lavine-kings">trade with the San Antonio Spurs involving De’Aaron Fox</a>.</p><p>Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is now reunited with his Lithuanian national team teammate in Valanciunas.</p><p>In a total of 49 games this season, Valanciunas has averaged 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in roughly 20.1 minutes per game. He now creates a very strong one-two frontcourt punch for the Kings, providing much-needed depth behind Sabonis as a veteran with a very similar style of play.</p><p>Valanciunas had drawn a lot of interest around the league throughout the trade period. In addition to being mentioned with the Los Angeles Lakers, the veteran center was also on the <a href="https://x.com/JakeLFischer/status/1887259301338882326" rel="noopener">Denver Nuggets’ radar</a>, according to Jake Fischer.</p><p>This trade for the Wizards comes hours after they acquired Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson from the Milwaukee Bucks for Kyle Kuzma.</p><p>Washington continues to rebuild by stockpiling unwanted contracts and draft assets, which they have once again done in this trade with the Kings. Cissoko is only 20 years old and will be turning 21 in April. The 44th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has spent a lot of time developing behind the scenes and in the G League early on in his career.</p><p>He now joins Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr as other French players on the Wizards’ roster.</p><p>Sacramento has continued to round out their roster with win-now talents in the wake of trading Fox. The Kings have 13 players under contract with little room until reaching the first apron.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-jonas-valanciunas-guerschon-yabusele-among-knicks-trade-targets');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Jonas Valanciunas, Guerschon Yabusele among Knicks trade targets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jonas-Valanciunas-Guerschon-Yabusele-among-Knicks-trade-targets.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Jonas Valanciunas, Guerschon Yabusele among Knicks trade targets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-04T12:55:22-08:00">February 4th, 12:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-04T14:05:14-08:00">February 4th, 2:05pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks, currently holding a 33-17 record and sitting third in the Eastern Conference, are actively looking to strengthen their frontcourt ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. With Mitchell Robinson recently cleared for full contact on Monday but still working his way back from an ankle injury, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/knicks-mitchell-robinson-2025-nba-trade-deadline">Knicks are exploring trade options for additional size and depth</a>.</p><p>According to SNY’s Ian Begley, New York has <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-nets-trade-deadline-primer-2025" rel="noopener">inquired about</a> Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele, and New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis.</p><p>Valanciunas, 32, has remained a productive presence in the paint for Washington, averaging 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 54.7% from the field over 49 games this season.</p><p>His three-point shooting has dipped to 25.9%, a notable drop from his usual efficiency beyond the arc, where he had previously shot over 30% for five straight seasons. Valanciunas is under contract for $9.9 million this season with his deal running through 2026-27 at $10 million annually.</p><h2><b>Guerschon Yabusele’s recent surge adds intrigue to Knicks’ trade considerations</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Guerschon-Yabusele-28-reacts-after-missing-a-shot-against-the-New-York-Knicks.jpg"><figcaption>© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/76ers-news-guerschon-yabusele-gets-real-on-trade-possibility-ahead-of-deadline">Yabusele, 29, joined the 76ers on a one-year, $2 million contract</a> after a strong showing with the French national team at the Paris Olympics. He has outperformed expectations, averaging 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.2% from three-point range in 46 games.</p><p>His production has increased in recent weeks, with Yabusele posting 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game over his last five outings. He delivered a career-high 28-point performance against the Denver Nuggets, shooting 12-for-17 from the field and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. He’s had increased opportunities with injuries to Joel Embiid and Paul George.</p><p>Theis, 32, is contributing 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 47.3% from the field and 24.3% from three-point range across 38 games for the Pelicans. He is currently on a $2 million contract with New Orleans, a team that has struggled with injuries and sits at 12-38 this season.</p><p>The Knicks’ search for frontcourt help highlights their push to solidify their rotation for the postseason. With the trade deadline approaching, New York is evaluating its options carefully, weighing potential deals that could provide the necessary depth to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Jonas Valanciunas, Guerschon Yabusele among Knicks trade targets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-lebron-james-flexes-dunk-on-jonas-valanciunas-with-powerful-age-post');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lakers’ LeBron James flexes dunk on Jonas Valanciunas with powerful age post');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/LeBron-James-flexes-dunk-on-Jonas-Valanciunas-with-powerful-age-post.jpg"></figure><h1>Lakers’ LeBron James flexes dunk on Jonas Valanciunas with powerful age post</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-01-22T18:15:11-08:00">January 22nd, 6:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-01-22T18:15:11-08:00">January 22nd, 6:15pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday night, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-bronny-james-stunned-reaction-to-lebron-james-savage-poster-vs-wizards">LeBron James gave fans another play</a> to add to his still-growing highlight reel despite having turned 40 years old not even a month ago. The Los Angeles Lakers star, in the second quarter of what would be an eventual 111-88 victory over the Washington Wizards, threw down a mean poster jam over Jonas Valanciunas off of a lob pass from Austin Reaves — which had Bronny James hyped up in the process.</p><p>At this point, there is no surprises anymore when it comes to the athletic feats that James can pull off. But at the same time, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFI7-p-zJQi/?e=2293c0c9-783a-4994-b3ed-77e75e87a4b2&amp;g=5" rel="noopener">it’s rather unfathomable</a> that he could still defy gravity the way he does even though he’s 22 years into his NBA career — especially when he’s coming off a long travel that saw him make a quick detour all the way to Atlanta to catch his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes win the national championship.</p><p>“Hangover game! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😱. This Is 40👑,” James wrote as the caption on his post on his official Instagram account.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFI7-p-zJQi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DFI7-p-zJQi/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by 👑 (@kingjames)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Just imagining the physical toll of flying all the way to Atlanta and then back to Los Angeles to take on the Wizards is already exhausting, but James is not just any ordinary human. He might be hungover from the time difference and the overall fatigue of the trip he just went through, but it was not apparent whatsoever with the way he made Valanciunas a screensaver.</p><p>James may admit that he is close to hanging it up and that he’s already thinking about what life holds for him when he does retire, but clearly, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ohio-state-football-news-lebron-james-bryce-harper-love-buckeyes-national-championship-game">Lakers star has plenty of gas left in the tank</a>. And fans better make James’ games appointment viewing, as they better not take his greatness on the hardwood for granted, for we might never see someone as great as him step on the court again.</p><h2><b>Lakers star LeBron James is ageless</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lakers-superstar-LeBron-James_bb8d62.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There may be apparent signs of decline when looking at LeBron James’ game under a microscope. His scoring numbers are down, and it’s clear that he cannot jump as high as he once did. But when someone like the Lakers star is starting off from such a high level of athleticism, then that just means that even in his declined state, he can still jump off the building like the best of them.</p><p>Beyond his nasty poster jam on Tuesday night, James also led the way for the Lakers in a resounding victory, tallying 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 23-point win.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lakers’ LeBron James flexes dunk on Jonas Valanciunas with powerful age post

Jonah Bolden

Trey Lyles

Nikola Vučević

Kent Bazemore

Jonas Valančiūnas

Cody Zeller

Chris Boucher

Royce O'Neale

Kelly Olynyk

Wendell Carter Jr.

2012-13 All-Rookie

Toronto Raptors

Memphis Grizzlies

New Orleans Pelicans

Washington Wizards

Sacramento Kings

1 Season

1 season

2 seasons

5 seasons

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1411403638145228804/

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1410684289080041472/

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1394085885067599877/

The goal hasn't changed, only the route 😤 

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1385700451778236417/

Lithuanian basketball is celebrating its 99th birthday today. Proud to be a part of such a glorious history! 🇱🇹🏀🏆 

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1381627632807186432/

Tough game! Big respect to my Lithuanian brother @Dsabonis11 🇱🇹✊ 

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1380222780378116098/

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1374461122284163084/

https://twitter.com/JValanciunas/status/1370099878379016202/

Today is a very proud day for my country. Lithuania restored its Independence 31 years ago! 🇱🇹✊ #ProudLithuanian 

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.6	4.9	1.1	0.6	0.4

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
6.6	4.9	1.1	0.6	0.4

Jonas
Valančiūnas

Latest Jonas Valanciunas News

Wizards waive player acquired from Kings in Jonas Valanciunas trade

Wizards trade grade for Jonas Valanciunas deal

Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings

NBA rumors: Jonas Valanciunas, Guerschon Yabusele among Knicks trade targets

Lakers’ LeBron James flexes dunk on Jonas Valanciunas with powerful age post

Latest Jonas Valanciunas Tweets