Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas knows his name is in trade rumors. Valanciunas has also been around long enough that he’s not worried about those rumors. The veteran center is staying focused on helping the young Wizards improve.
“What can happen in the future, maybe tomorrow, maybe even today, I don’t know,” Valanciunas said about the possibility of being dealt. “If it happens, it happens. It’s a young team still putting the pieces together. Everything can happen.”
Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30.3 million deal with Washington as part of a sign-and-trade last summer. This season, the 7-footer makes just $9.9 million, which makes him an easy-to-trade-for player ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. However, Valanciunas is focused on Washington instead of worrying about trades.
“They wanted me, they showed some trust in me, so I’m happy here,” Valanciunas said about the Wizards. “You’ve got to stay patient. But we get better, we practice, and the young guys drive me to get better, too. I feel the kick in my ass to practice and get better and work on my skills. So, I’m taking advantage from that.”