Free agent center Jonas Valanciunas has agreed on a three-year, $30 million deal with the Washington Wizards, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.
Valanciunas gives the rebuilding Wizards a veteran presence and more depth at center after they drafted French big man Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick in last week’s NBA draft.
Valanciunas, 32, is coming off another solid season in New Orleans, with averages of 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game on 55.9% shooting from the field.
The Lithuanian center has started 235 games for New Orleans since he was traded from Memphis three seasons ago and only missed 11 games across that span. While his minutes have trended down since first arriving on the team in 2021-22, Valanciunas’ consistency and availability helped keep an oft-injured Pelicans team afloat.
One of the bigger centers in the league, Valanciunas boasts excellent touch around the rim — shooting nearly 73% from within three feet last season — and can space the floor with an occasional 3-pointer.