The date the Los Angeles Lakers have been waiting for has finally arrived. After months of anticipation, December 15 has rolled around, meaning players signed during the 2024 period of free agency are now eligible to be traded.
In turn, the stars have aligned for the Lakers to finally execute a trade for the player many have been waiting for: Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas.
The Lakers were reportedly interested in signing Valanciunas over the summer, with LeBron James vouching for him as a target in free agency. Unfortunately, he signed with the Washington Wizards on a three-year, $30.295 million deal.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers remain interested in acquiring Valanciunas via trade during the 2024-25 regular season.
"The Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams with the most diligent interest in trying to acquire Valanciunas, league sources told HoopsHype."
After months of interest, the restrictions have been lifted and the Lakers can finally execute the trade that could transform their season.
Lakers can officially trade for Jonas Valanciunas
Valanciunas, 32, is widely regarded as one of the best post players in the NBA. He throws his 6'11" and 265-pound frame around with brutal physicality, backing opponents down and utilizing his dynamic skill set to finish over either shoulder.
Valanciunas has also made a career out of dominating the boards, boasting career averages of 18.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 3.9 offensive boards per 36 minutes.
Those abilities make Valanciunas the exact player the Lakers have needed at the center position. They're struggling mightily to crash the boards and keep opponents off of them, ranking No. 22 in second-chance points and No. 26 in second-chance points allowed.
Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA, but with lackluster depth beyond him, it's fallen entirely on him to anchor the interior—a flaw Valanciunas would directly address.
Offensively, the Lakers would benefit immensely from having a post player who can score easy buckets when other players' shots aren't falling. That's especially true when the stars are off the court, as the Lakers' second unit has been far below par.
Thus far in 2024-25, the Lakers rank No. 29 in the NBA in bench scoring—making Valanciunas' steady offensive hand a potentially invaluable addition.
It's plausible that Valanciunas would start in Los Angeles, thus moving one of Rui Hachimura or Dalton Knecht to the second unit. In either scenario, the bench would be landing a productive scoring threat who can potentially complement D'Angelo Russell and generate consistent offense.
The Lakers will need to convince the Wizards that a trade is mutually beneficial, but if they pull off a move for Valanciunas, the entire tone of the season would change.