One of the best things that can happen to a player in any sport is a midseason trade that lands them on a championship contender. Boston Red Sox outfielder Steve Pearce was traded to Beantown at the end of June last year, and would eventually be named the World Series MVP. After over a decade in Memphis, Marc Gasol would win his first NBA title after being sent to the Toronto Raptors just before the February trade deadline.
On the flip side, players like Jonas Valanciunas end up missing out on the glory that comes with winning a championship. Valanciunas was one of the players that was sent to Memphis in the trade that brought Gasol to Toronto, and went from being the starting center for an eventual champion to being one of the leading scorers for a team that missed the playoffs.
However, it is usually customary for any member that played for a championship team to receive a ring, and Valanciunas said he would graciously accept that honor if it were bestowed upon him.
Jonas Valanciunas was asked if he would accept NBA Championship ring: “Why I shouldn’t? If they will give me, for sure I will accept it.”
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) July 4, 2019
Valanciunas averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in 30 games with the Raptors last season. In his six-plus seasons in Toronto, Valanciunas developed into one of the more dependable centers int he league averaging 11.8 points and 8.4 rebounds as a Raptor.
But the best is yet to come for the 27-year-old Lithuanian. Jonas Valanciunas averaged 19.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.6 in 19 games for the Grizzlies, who view him as their anchor in the middle as they begin their rebuilding process in earnest.
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