Center the Lakers missed out on continues to excel with a rival team.
The Lakers had their chance. They missed it.
Before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers spent the entire offseason, preseason, and regular season looking for a center upgrade. It was the most glaring weakness on the roster, with former star Anthony Davis requesting help both publicly and privately.
Unfortunately, the player LeBron James personally asked the Lakers to sign during free agency not only slipped away from Los Angeles in the offseason but also during the trade deadline: Jonas Valanciunas.
Valanciunas, 32, is one of the most efficient centers outside the All-Star conversation. He’s a consistent double-double machine with a refined set of post moves and a surprising skill as a playmaker. For 13 years, his abilities have allowed him to generate offense quickly.
Sadly, after the Lakers failed to either sign or trade for Valanciunas, their competitors, the Sacramento Kings, seized the opportunity to bring him in.
Los Angeles briefly found hope by attempting to trade for Mark Williams, but the deal fell apart at the last moment. While this may spare the Lakers some criticism, it’s important to remember that the front office was aware of the need to improve the center depth months before the deadline.
The Lakers are managing without him, but it’s hard not to watch Valanciunas thrive with the Kings and wonder what might have been.
Jonas Valanciunas excelling with Sacramento Valanciunas has played in 13 games for the Kings, averaging 10.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 offensive boards, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks in just 20.6 minutes per game. That averages out to 17.9 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.6 offensive boards, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
On a per-36 basis, Valanciunas would rank No. 4 on the Lakers in points, assists, and steals, No. 1 in rebounds and offensive boards, and No. 2 in blocks.
What stings more is that Valanciunas has only improved since joining Sacramento. For example, since Feb. 24, he’s averaged 13.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.0 offensive boards, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
During this span, the Kings have gone 5-2, with Valanciunas grabbing at least 12 rebounds and six assists in each of his last three games.
Perhaps he wouldn’t have fit in Los Angeles as seamlessly as some expected. Adding Luka Doncic was a significant shift for a roster that had become used to a dominant All-NBA center and was now adjusting to a perimeter-focused game.
Still, one can’t shake the feeling that Valanciunas’ rebounding, passing, and scoring would have made him the ideal complement to defensive big man Jaxson Hayes at center.
While the Lakers have been performing at a top-tier level since Jan. 15, they continue to rank last in the NBA in bench points per game. They’re also No. 20 in second-chance points allowed and No. 26 in second-chance points scored, two areas where Valanciunas could have made an impact.
Instead, Los Angeles must face the final stretch of the 2024-25 season without a player who’s providing exactly what a divisional rival needs.