Tag: jonas valanciunas

Wizards trade Jonas Valanciunas to Kings

The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has acquired Jonas Valančiūnas in a trade with the Washington Wizards for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.

During the 2024-25 season, Valančiūnas is averaging 11.5 points (54.7 FG%, 89.6 FT%), 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 20.1 minutes per game in 49 games (12 starts). He ranks 24th in rebounds per game, 19th in total rebounds (404) and in field goal percentage, tied for 16th in total offensive rebounds (120), 20th in total defensive rebounds (284) and seventh in free throw percentage this season.

In 13 seasons, Valančiūnas has posted career averages of 13.3 points (56.0 FG%, 79.3 FT%), 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists in 25.4 minutes per game in 905 career games (839 starts) with Toronto (2012-19), Memphis (2018-21), New Orleans (2021-24) and Washington (2024-25). Among active players, he ranks 13th in rebounds per game, ninth in total boards (8,500), sixth in total offensive rebounds (2,485) and 12th in total defensive rebounds (6,016) and in field goal percentage. Valančiūnas was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team for his performance during the 2012-13 season and has been a member of the men’s senior Lithuanian national team since 2011.

Contract year for Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas

Per the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The productive and durable Valanciunas made it clear in the offseason that he is comfortable in New Orleans. But he and the team could not agree on an extension, so Valanciunas will play out the final year of his contract without knowing what’s on the other side of it.

“I’m not thinking about that at all,” he said. “I am just going to play hoop. To play basketball. It’s one year at a time. I am just going to leave everything out there.

“Where the future is going to take me, it’s a mystery. But it’s funny that way. You don’t know what can happen tomorrow. You have to enjoy today. You have to enjoy this year. You have to enjoy every game you play. You just try to be the best version of you. That’s what my approach is.”

The Pelicans won 36 games in Valanciunas’ first season here and snuck into the playoffs. In his second season, they won 42 games but were eliminated in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Valanciunas said the disappointment of the way last season ended has made him and his teammates come back motivated.

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Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas goes three-point crazy in win over Clippers

Jonas Valanciunas went insane from three-point range yesterday. Via ESPN.com:

Jonas Valanciunas wasn’t exactly a marksman when he entered the NBA in 2012. In fact, in his first five seasons in the league, he went 1-of-4 from 3-point range.

But those days are long gone.

Valanciunas hit his first seven 3-pointers on Monday night — all in the first half — as he helped lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 123-104 win over the LA Clippers.

The 6-foot-11, 265-pound bruiser has slowly started to add the three-point shot to his game since 2017, but he’s never had a night like Tuesday when he scored a career-high 39 points to go along with 15 rebounds.

Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas agree to contract extension

Pelicans big man Jonas Valanciunas will be sticking around for a while. Via the New Orleans Times Picayune:

For the second consecutive season, the Pelicans signed their starting center to a contract extension without ever watching him play a regular-season game in a New Orleans uniform.

Wednesday, the Pelicans and Jonas Valanciunas agreed to a two-year, $30.1 million extension, which will keep the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Lithuanian big man under contract through the 2023-24 season, a source said…

Only 11 months earlier, the Pelicans signed Steven Adams to a two-year extension worth $35 million. Adams averaged 7.6 points last season, the fewest since his rookie season, and was traded in July.

The Pelicans sent Adams and Eric Bledsoe to the Memphis Grizzlies in a salary shedding maneuver. They got back Valanciunas in the trade and were forced to move down seven spots in last summer’s draft.

Three-team NBA trade sends Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe to Grizzlies, Jonas Valanciunas to Pelicans

The Memphis Grizzlies have acquired center Steven Adams, guard Eric Bledsoe, the draft rights to wing Ziaire Williams (the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) and a protected 2022 first round draft pick (via Los Angeles Lakers) from the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a three-team trade also involving the Charlotte Hornets. Memphis also received from New Orleans the draft rights to guard Jared Butler (the 40th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) for his inclusion in a trade agreed to in principle and to be completed later.

In exchange, the Grizzlies traded center Jonas Valančiūnas, the draft rights to forward Trey Murphy (the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) and the draft rights to guard Brandon Boston (the 51st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft) to the Pelicans and traded the draft rights to Tyler Harvey (the 51st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft) to the Hornets.

In addition, the Hornets traded guard Devonte’ Graham to the Pelicans. The Pelicans traded wing Wesley Iwundu and a protected 2022 first round pick to the Hornets.

“As we entered this offseason, we were intently focused upon improving our shooting, leadership and the overall fit of our roster,” said Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin. “The players that are joining us today speak directly to those areas of concern. More importantly, their strength of character as men, and teammates that are eager to be part of our larger Pelicans family will be critical as we continue building towards sustainable success.”

Adams (6-11, 265) has competed in 588 games (524 starts) and holds career averages of 9.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.9 minutes in his eight-year NBA career with the Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder. The New Zealand native started all 58 appearances for New Orleans last season and averaged 7.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.7 minutes. Selected 12th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, the 28-year-old ranks seventh in NBA history in field goal percentage (.591).

Bledsoe (6-1, 214) has appeared in 702 games (539 starts) and owns career averages of 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 28.0 minutes in his 11-year NBA career with the Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers. Selected 18th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky, the 31-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.7 minutes in 71 games (70 starts) for New Orleans last season.

Williams (6-8 ¼, 185) was named a top-10 finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award last season as a freshman at Stanford University, where he averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.8 minutes in 20 games. The 19-year-old California native recorded the second triple-double in program history with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 7 vs. Washington and earned Naismith Trophy Player of the Week honors on Jan. 11.

Valančiūnas (6-11 ¼, 265) has competed in 621 games (592 starts) and holds career averages of 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 25.6 minutes in his nine-year NBA career with the Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors. Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, the 29-year-old Lithuania native averaged 16.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.3 minutes in 151 games (148 starts) over two-plus seasons in Memphis.

Jonas Valanciunas out after thumb surgery

 

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After suffering a dislocation of his left thumb in the December 12 game at Golden State, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas underwent surgery at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. His thumb was relocated and damage caused by the dislocation was repaired. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Yao, a specialist in hand, wrist and elbow surgery.

Valanciunas will wear a cast for four weeks. His condition will then be updated as appropriate.

The injury occurred in the second quarter of Wednesday’s victory at Golden State. Valanciunas is averaging 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 18.8 minutes in 30 games (10 starts) this season. He has led the team in rebounding 11 times, and recorded five double-doubles.

According to the Toronto Star, “The Raptors have survived other absences: they are 7-1 in games Kawhi Leonard has sat out, and they have been without Norm Powell since the first week of November. In this case, they will move backup big man Greg Monroe into a far more substantial role. While the Raptors created a feel-good story by calling up Canadian centre Chris Boucher from the G League to fill the roster spot, the rail-thin backup can’t be expected to play any significant role. That leaves Monroe, the 28-year-old veteran on a one-year deal, to assume a key position behind now presumptive starter Serge Ibaka.”

Toronto Raptors exercise contract options on Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross

Terrence Ross

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts of center Jonas Valanciunas and guard Terrence Ross.

The contracts for Valanciunas and Ross are now guaranteed through the 2014-15 season. In accordance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Raptors had until October 31 to exercise their option on both players.

Valanciunas, seven-foot, 257 pounds, joined the Raptors after being selected fifth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft and spending the 2011-12 season playing overseas. He was named to the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after finishing the year ranked third among rookies in rebounds (6.0), blocks (1.26) and field goal percentage (.557). Valanciunas also ranked seventh among rookies averaging 8.9 points in 23.9 minutes.

A native of Utena, Lithuania, Valanciunas became the fifth rookie in franchise history to start on opening night and the second to record a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in his debut October 31 versus Indiana. He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for March, averaging 11.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and shooting .620 from the field in 15 games. Valanciunas scored a career-high 24 points and set a team rookie record shooting 16-for-18 at the free throw line April 3 versus Washington.

In July, Valanciunas was named Most Valuable Player of the 2013 NBA Summer League after averaging 18.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 29.3 minutes in four outings. Following Summer League, he returned to the Lithuanian National Team and helped his country earn a silver medal at the FIBA Eurobasket Tournament and qualification for the 2014 FIBA World Championship. Valanciunas has been named FIBA Europe’s Young Men’s Player of the Year the past two years (2011 and 2012).

Ross, 6-foot-7, 197 pounds was selected eighth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Raptors. Last season he posted averages of 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 17.0 minutes in 73 contests. He shot .332 (65-196) from beyond the arc and finished fifth among rookies in made three-pointers. He led the team in bench points 16 times and scored in double digits on 22 occasions. Ross recorded career highs of 26 points and six three-pointers January 2 versus Portland.

Ross won the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk during All-Star Saturday Night on February 16 in Houston. He defeated Jeremy Evans in the final round with 58 per cent of the fan votes.

Ross netted a game-high 27 points in Monday’s double overtime victory versus New York. He is averaging 12.0 points and leads the team with nine three-pointers through seven preseason games.