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The Sacramento Kings have acquired center Jonas Valanciunas from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Sidy Cissoko and two second-round picks, league sources confirmed to ClutchPoints. This trade was first reported by NBA insider Marc Stein.
Valanciunas, 32, had been a hot topic of trade discussions around the league in recent days leading up to the NBA trade deadline. After signing a three-year contract with the Wizards in free agency, it was expected that Washington would look to flip the veteran at the deadline for second-round draft assets.
Along with acquiring Cissoko, a young French wing with potential for growth, the Wizards are also adding two second-round picks after the Kings added a handful of them in their trade with the San Antonio Spurs involving De’Aaron Fox.
Kings big man Domantas Sabonis is now reunited with his Lithuanian national team teammate in Valanciunas.
In a total of 49 games this season, Valanciunas has averaged 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in roughly 20.1 minutes per game. He now creates a very strong one-two frontcourt punch for the Kings, providing much-needed depth behind Sabonis as a veteran with a very similar style of play.
Valanciunas had drawn a lot of interest around the league throughout the trade period. In addition to being mentioned with the Los Angeles Lakers, the veteran center was also on the Denver Nuggets’ radar, according to Jake Fischer.
This trade for the Wizards comes hours after they acquired Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson from the Milwaukee Bucks for Kyle Kuzma.
Washington continues to rebuild by stockpiling unwanted contracts and draft assets, which they have once again done in this trade with the Kings. Cissoko is only 20 years old and will be turning 21 in April. The 44th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft has spent a lot of time developing behind the scenes and in the G League early on in his career.
He now joins Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr as other French players on the Wizards’ roster.
Sacramento has continued to round out their roster with win-now talents in the wake of trading Fox. The Kings have 13 players under contract with little room until reaching the first apron.
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Knicks could trade 2024 first-round pick to make way for veteran additions
The New York Knicks recently signed Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet to non-guaranteed deals. Both veterans will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot during training camp and preseason. However, due to the Knicks' current cap situation, the front office would need to make a trade if it wanted to keep both veterans for the upcoming campaign. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, second-year guard Pacome Dadiet could be the most viable trade candidate for New York if they look to retain both Brogdon and Shamet. "Talking to people in the league as of late, the name I keep hearing most is 20-year-old Pacome Dadiet," Edwards reported. "I’ve gathered that the Knicks are entering camp with the idea of keeping Brogdon and Shamet, both of whom are on non-guaranteed deals, for the regular-season roster...Given Dadiet’s age, size (6-8, 210) and projected profile if his development shakes out, he has more value around the league than the likes of youngsters Tyler Kolek or Ariel Hukporti, according to people I’ve spoken with. That is why if the Knicks want to make room for the two veterans, trading Dadiet makes the most sense." Dadiet played in 18 games last season, averaging 1.7 points and one rebound per outing. At 20 years old, he is certainly a developmental project. For a contending team such as the Knicks, moving on from him would be a logical decision if the reward was keeping both Brogdon and Shamet for the upcoming season. The Knicks have multiple trade options available Dadiet isn't the only potential trade candidate for the Knicks. Tyler Kolek, Miles McBride and Ariel Hukporti all fit the bill of young and developing talents. Swapping any of them for proven contributors makes sense, given the Knicks' current timeline. Interestingly, Edwards isn't the only Knicks insider reporting that Brogdon and Shamet will likely stick with the franchise beyond training camp. Ian Begley provided a similar report on September 17. “A trade of either Pacome Dadiet or Miles McBride would clear enough cap space to sign both veterans,” Begley wrote. “The Knicks can also trade Tyler Kolek and have enough space under the second apron to sign both Brogdon and Shamet…I don’t think the Knicks will make a trade ahead of training camp...But if I’m betting today, I’m betting that both Brogdon and Shamet are on the regular season roster.” The Knicks will likely explore every option available to them and make a decision based on the offers they receive. Nevertheless, they've positioned themselves to be incredibly deep heading into the new season. Unless Brogdon or Shamet struggles over the next few weeks, we should feel confident that they both secure a spot moving forward. Brogdon's injury history should worry the Knicks Despite Brogdon's clear upside, the Knicks will be aware of the injury risk he carries. After all, he's played in just 63 games over the past two seasons, and has broken the 60-game mark just twice in his career. Still, when healthy, Brogdon is a high-level guard who can score across all three levels and create for those around him. The Knicks will be rolling the dice on his health, knowing that if he's on the court, he will elevate their chances of success.
Raiders HC Pete Carroll unhappy with running game amid Ashton Jeanty's struggles
Ashton Jeanty is not having the start to his career the Las Vegas Raiders hoped he'd have when they took the star running back with the No. 6 pick in this year's draft. Jeanty carried the ball 17 times for 63 yards (3.7 yards per rush) in the Raiders' 41-24 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 3. Jeanty is averaging 3.1 yards per rush this season, with 144 yards and one touchdown on the 1-2 Raiders. Not all of the issues are on the rookie. During his news conference on Monday, head coach Pete Carroll said the team needed to improve the running game to have success on offense. He suggested Las Vegas is doing all it can to run the ball with the talent they have on the offensive line. "We're working on some stuff," Carroll said of the offensive line. "We want to see (Jackson Powers-Johnson) come back to action and get back involved. "We have to in all phases of it. We've got to get off the football better and make more of the running game. "There's not enough happening there to act on the play-pass game, and we're just not getting enough. So we just got to keep working it. We got the guys we got." The Las Vegas Raiders need to fix the offensive line Despite a poor game by the offensive line, quarterback Geno Smith was effective on Sunday. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns. However, he was sacked five times for minus-28 yards. The offense was much better than it was in Week 2 when the Raiders scored nine points in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on "Monday Night Football." Still, the running game needs to be a threat, not only to help Smith and the passing attack, but to keep the defense off the field. The Raiders invested in the running game by drafting Jeanty with a first-round pick. So far, that pick has not paid off.
Brendan Donovan Gets Solid Endorsement As Cardinals Trade Rumors Swirl
The St. Louis Cardinals are seemingly headed for a rebuild this offseason after years of mediocrity at the big league level. They're seemingly moving on from the aging veterans in an attempt to get younger for the future. St. Louis has a lot of talented young players, including All-Star infielder Brendan Donovan. Donovan was the team's only All-Star this year, but that doesn't mean he was their only top talent. Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants recently listed Donovan as one of the Cardinals' most valuable players, only trailing young stars like Iván Herrera, Masyn Winn, and JJ Wetherholt in terms of future value. Brendan Donovan is crucial to Cardinals' future "If the season ended today, Donovan slashed .283/.351/.410 with 10 home runs and a 115 wRC+ in 501 plate appearances, but prior to the toe injury he suffered on June 11th, he was a 132 wRC+ bat with a .310/.379/.440 slash line during those 64 games," Jacobs wrote. "During the two months that Donovan played through his toe injury rather than going on the injured list, he slashed .234/.305/.349, which amounted to a terrible 84 wRC+ in 46 games. "With two years of club control remaining, Donovan is the leader in the Cardinals clubhouse, ranks 72nd out of 297 qualified hitters since the beginning of 2022 in wRC+, and has incredible defensive versatility to go with his bat. The Cardinals need to try to extend him this offseason, or else it probably does make sense to shop him on the trade market to maximize his trade value." The Cardinals have been mixed in trade rumors with Donovan for months now. The star infielder has two years of team control left in his deal, so the Cardinals don't need to trade him. Instead, St. Louis could look to sign him to an extension in order to make him a focal point of the future. With Chaim Bloom taking over as the president of baseball operations this offseason, the Cardinals will likely make a decision with Donovan, whether it be a trade or an extension. Either way, the versatile infielder is one of the most valuable players in the Cardinals' organization. The Cardinals will either use this value in a trade or on the field.
Rangers forward in a fight for his future amid new competition
The New York Rangers are preparing to start a transitional season, following the arrival of new head coach Mike Sullivan and some important adjustments to the squad. Among the players facing a decisive season is Brennan Othmann, a left winger who was selected in the first round of the 2021 NHL draft. Othmann, 22, is entering his third and final year of his contract with the Rangers, but his expiring deal is not the only reason why he will have to prove himself this season. The Canadian has had difficulties meeting the high expectations around him and although he may no longer have time to establish himself as a top-six forward, this is the best time to establish himself in a lower role. Othmann's clock is ticking as competition for roster spot grows Last season, he only recorded two assists in 22 games with the Rangers, but tallied 12 goals and eight assists in 27 games with the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack. In any case, now Othmann is facing heavier competition within the squad. Both Gabe Perreault and Carey Terrance have left good impressions during preseason camps, and with both having multiple years left on their contracts, the possibility that Othmann's days on the team are numbered increases. That said, the New York team needs depth, especially in the bottom-six, and Othmann must react and respond. He has the necessary grit and physicality, and if he manages to establish himself there, he could become a solid player within the bottom lineups.
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