21 up-for-grabs players who may play a starring role in NBA trade deadline rumors
By Dalton Sell
Jonas Valančiūnas, Washington Wizards
This is a weird one. Jonas Valančiūnas signed with the Wizards earlier this offseason, but new reports suggest he may already be a trade candidate before he has a chance to unpack his belongings. Per Heavy's Sean Deveney, the expectation is that the big man will be on the market when he is eligible to be traded in December.
Valančiūnas would command no shortage of interest on the trade market. Though the 31-year-old is coming off a down year, he's still a scoring machine who can attack the glass at a high level. His outside shot is still ultimately a work in progress, but he has shown that he can at least knock them down at a respectable rate, keeping defenses on their toes as he spaces the floor.
About to enter the first season of a three-year deal worth $30.3 million, the center is on an affordable contract in the eyes of many. Center-hungry teams would likely have no issue matching salary there; the big question is what the Wizards might want for him. It all will depend on how well he plays in the first few months of his tenure in Washington.
Valančiūnas' rumored availability and affordability could make things much harder for Atlanta in their quest to trade the aforementioned Clint Capela, but only time will tell.