Lakers’ top trade target has officially been claimed by a divisional rival

What could have been?

For most of the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were seen as the favorites to land Jonas Valanciunas. LeBron James had requested the Lakers to pursue Valanciunas in the offseason, and Anthony Davis’ continuous calls for help at center appeared to push the team toward that direction.

However, Davis has since been traded, and now the Lakers’ primary target on the market has been acquired by another team.

Valanciunas, 31, appeared to be the perfect answer to the Lakers’ need for solid interior depth. This was largely due to his team-friendly contract, with the 2024-25 season marking the first year of a three-year, $30.3 million deal he signed with the Washington Wizards in July.

As reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers were unable to secure the valuable big man, as the Sacramento Kings, their divisional rivals, swooped in.

It’s unclear if the Lakers still saw Valanciunas as an option after trading Davis for Luka Doncic, but the asking price remained as affordable as anticipated.

Lakers lose out on Valanciunas as Sacramento Kings steal him away

Valanciunas has played in all 49 of the Wizards’ games this season, averaging 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 offensive rebounds, and 2.2 assists in just 20.0 minutes per game, shooting 54.7 percent from the field.

These numbers result in impressive averages of 20.7 points, 14.8 rebounds, 4.4 offensive rebounds, and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes.

Among players who have appeared in at least 30 games, Valanciunas ranks second in the NBA for defensive rebounding percentage. Meanwhile, the Lakers sit 22nd in the league for second-chance points allowed per game.

Even if one ignores his contributions as an elite post scorer and valuable offensive rebounder and playmaker, his defensive rebounding alone could have addressed a significant need for Los Angeles.

Instead, Valanciunas will join a divisional rival that stands to greatly benefit from his addition. The Kings were 25-24 when they acquired him, sitting eighth in the Western Conference standings, just 2.5 games away from avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

With new additions like Zach LaVine and Valanciunas, interim head coach Doug Christie aims to continue reshaping one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

Sacramento has gone 12-5 in their last 17 games, closing the gap to the postseason. While the trade of their star player De’Aaron Fox raises questions about sustainability, the Kings have been actively improving in other areas.

Sadly, this has been at the expense of the Lakers, who once seeme dcertain to land Valanciunas.