NBA Rumors: Long rumored premier trade deadline candidate officially is on the block

NBA Rumors: Long rumored trade candidate Jonas Valanciunas appears to finally be on the trade block.

From all indications, it does appear as if the Washington Wizards signed Jonas Valanciunas in free agency with the idea of trading him in the future. It's the only explanation for the rebuilding Wizards to sign the veteran center. Nevertheless, after inking him to a three-year deal, the question constantly was, when would the Wizards actually trade him? After a month-plus of the regular season, it finally appears as if we have the answer to the question.

According to a recent report, the Wizards are officially shopping Valanciunas on the trade block. While there was speculation that he would be available leading up to the trade deadline, there was never a clear report that would be the case. Now that has become more clear. If there's a team looking to acquire Valanciunas, this could be the time for them to do so. Valanciunas is officially trade-eligible and is going to be viewed as a highly sought-after piece heading into the trade deadline season.

The strong market for Jonas Valanciunas

With the way he's looked this season, the expectation is that there's going to be a strong market for Valanciunas. One team that has consistently been linked to Valanciunas is the Los Angeles Lakers. As the team continues to explore how to improve even after their relatively strong start to the season, it does seem as if Valanciunas is going to be a natural trade target for the team.

But even beyond the Lakers, there are likely a collection of other teams that are going to pursue Valanciunas. Any team that has a need in the frontcourt, whether it's as a starter or in an attempt to add depth, should look in the direction of Valanciunas. Even though he's not in a starter role, Valanciunas is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds on 57 percent shooting from the field. For most teams, those are acceptable numbers from a starter.

Over the next couple of months, it will be interesting to see what type of market ends up developing for Valanciuas. But if I had to guess, based on everything that's been reported of late, I'd imagine the Wizards aren't going to have a tough time finding a trade partner for Valanciunas. The question is, where will he ultimately land and what will be the eventual return for Washington?