{"id":49136,"date":"2025-05-05T13:57:05","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T12:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/nba\/player\/jonas-valanciunas\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T18:19:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T17:19:19","slug":"jonas-valanciunas","status":"publish","type":"nba-player","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/nba\/player\/jonas-valanciunas\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jonas Valančiūnas, born on May 6, 1992, in Utena, Lithuania, is a prominent figure in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) tall and weighing 120 kg (265 lb), he primarily plays as a center. Valančiūnas began his professional career in 2008, starting with Perlas Vilnius from 2008 to 2010. He then moved to Lietuvos rytas Vilnius, where he played from 2010 to 2012. During his time in Europe, he achieved significant recognition, including being named February MVP in the VTB United League in 2012. He also participated in three LKL All-Star Games from 2010 to 2012. His individual distinctions include two FIBA Young Player of the Year awards (2011, 2012), All-EuroCup First Team (2012), EuroCup Rising Star (2012), LKL champion (2010), two-time LKL Most Improved Player (2011, 2012), LKL MVP (2012), and LKL Domestic Player of the Year (2012). He was also recognized with the All-VTB United League First Team, VTB United League rebounding leader, and VTB United League blocks leader in 2012. Additionally, he was named Lithuanian Basketball Player of the Year five times (2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2021). His NBA journey began in 2011 when he was selected by the Toronto Raptors as the fifth overall pick in the first round of the NBA draft. He played for the Raptors from 2012 to 2019, earning an NBA All-Rookie Second Team honor in the 2012-13 season. Following his stint with the Raptors, Valančiūnas played for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2019 to 2021. From 2021 to 2024, he was with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he re-signed as an unrestricted free agent to a three-year contract on July 6, 2024. His career continued with trades in 2024 and 2025. On July 6, 2024, the Washington Wizards acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans for a protected second-round draft pick in 2027. He played for the Washington Wizards from 2024 to 2025. On February 5, 2025, he was acquired by the Sacramento Kings from the Washington Wizards in a trade that sent guard\/forward Sidy Cissoko and two second-round draft picks (2028 and 2029) to the Wizards. Later in 2025, on July 13, he was acquired by the Denver Nuggets from the Sacramento Kings, where he currently plays. On the international stage, Valančiūnas has been a consistent member of the Lithuanian Olympic Team and has represented his country in various tournaments. He made his debut for Lithuania’s junior national team at the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, where he demonstrated his dominance, averaging 14.3 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. He is a key player for the Lithuanian national team, as seen in his participation in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":49137,"template":"","categories":[1],"class_list":["post-49136","nba-player","type-nba-player","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas: News, Stats, and NBA Player Career<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Jonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas, born on May 6, 1992, is a Lithuanian professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. 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