The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly could look to move guard Gabe Vincent and draft capital to acquire Washington Wizards veteran center Jonas Valanciunas this season.
“Vincent has been a disappointment for the Lakers since signing a three-year, $33 million deal due to injuries and inefficient shooting,” HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote. “Los Angeles will look to include him as a salary filler with draft pick compensation in trade talks. Keep an eye on Los Angeles potentially dangling Vincent and future second-round picks to try and land Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, a coveted Lakers target.”
The Lakers have been linked to Valanciunas for quite some time, as he’s been on superstar LeBron James’ list of players that he wants to join the franchise.
Adding Valanciunas would also give the Lakers some much-needed depth in the frontcourt, as Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood are both currently dealing with injuries. Bringing in a proven veteran like Valanciunas would not only take some pressure off of Anthony Davis, but it also could allow the Lakers to experiment with lineups that feature both Davis and Valanciunas (if acquired) on the floor.
Valanciunas signed a three-year deal with the Wizards this past offseason, but Washington is off to a terrible start, going 2-16 through its first 18 games.
There’s no doubt that Washington is in a rebuild, and it has dropped 14 straight games after starting the season 2-2.
Since the Wizards may want to prioritize giving minutes to their young players – like big man and No. 2 overall pick Alexandre Sarr – Valanciunas could be an expendable piece at the trade deadline.
So far this season, the veteran center is averaging 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.7 blocks per game for Washington while shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from 3. He’s started just three of the 18 games he’s appeared in during the 2024-25 season.
Meanwhile, Vincent has not played well for the Lakers in the 2024-25 campaign. The veteran guard is averaging just 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists across 17.4 minutes per game. He’s struggling to score the ball, shooting just 34.7 percent from the field and 23.9 percent from 3.
After missing most of the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, Vincent hasn’t established himself as a player that the Lakers need to keep for the long haul so far this season.
So, if Los Angeles believes it can move him for an upgrade elsewhere on the roster, it may make sense to do so at the deadline.
