Kings Announce Trade With Nuggets, Acquire Eight-Year NBA Veteran

Valančiūnas will be missed in Sacramento, even though he only played half a season at Golden One. It doesn’t help that the trade was likely all to save money, but that’s the business of the NBA, unfortunately. 

Jonas quickly became a fan favorite in Sacramento after being acquired from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline. After two years of not having a true backup for Domantas Sabonis, Valančiūnas quickly showed fans and the team how important it was to have a capable backup behind the three-time All-Star. Valančiūnas averaged 8.7 points and 7 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game, which translates to a ridiculous 18.6 points and 14.8 rebounds per 36 minutes. 

Maxime Raynaud and Drew Eubanks will have to take up the mantle, but don’t expect them to replicate that kind of production from the backup 5 spot. 

Before the trade was made official, there were rumors that the Kings had offered Sarić to the Warriors as part of a trade to acquire Jonathan Kuminga, but it appears that nothing came to fruition there. If Sarić does remain on the roster, he likely won’t be playing a ton, barring injuries. 

Sarić had a great start to his career, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting while averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Philadelphia 76ers. Sarić did not have a great season for Denver last year, but he is still capable of knocking down shots from deep and can provide some help on the boards. 

While Sarić may not be the most glamorous acquisition, moving Jonas does save Sacramento some money, which will help their ability to lock down players like Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis long-term. 

The Kings are not a team that is willing to spend into the luxury tax threshold, so moves like these shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does make you wonder if Sarić will be waived and stretched this season. With only one year and $5.4M remaining on his contract, the Kings could waive Sarić and stretch his $5.4M over two years while freeing up a roster spot. Time will tell what happens with Sarić, but don’t expect him to be a focal point of the team either way.