The Sacramento Kings continued to remake its roster with the acquisition of Center Jonas Valanciunas on Wednesday in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks. It has been a busy few days for the Kings as they traded away Guard De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a marquee three-team trade a few days ago.
Cissoko was part of the Fox trade, and before ever suiting up for the Sacramento Kings, he is being sent to “The Nation’s Capital.” Valanciunas has been playing well for a miserable Washington Wizards team. He is averaging 11.5 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds. Will the Sacramento Kings be able to parlay their moves at the NBA Trade Deadline into success on the court?
Sacramento Kings Season Outlook
The Washington Wizards are trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2025
Sacramento has turned a corner after firing Head Coach Mike Brown following a disappointing 13-18 start to the regular season. They have gone 12-6 under Interim Head Coach Doug Christie and occupy the eighth seed in the Western Conference.
Valanciunas joins a Kings starting rotation that includes Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento did a solid job retooling its roster following the Fox trade. Sacramento features one of the league’s best offenses, and their recent moves should bolster that part of their team.
Final Thoughts
It remains unclear how Valanciunas will fit into the Sacramento Kings over the final 30+ games of the regular season. Valanciunas has been primarily a bench player this season, and that could remain the case with the Kings. He would slot in behind Sabonis at center and has never played power forward in his career. Keegan Murray is listed as the team’s starting power forward at the time of publication.
Sacramento, even after trading away Fox, has not taken a dramatic step back. These pieces will fit on paper. Valanciunas will provide the team with a veteran presence as they look to maintain their playoff standing and possibly jump out of play-in range.
