The Los Angeles Lakers may not have given up on landing Jonas Valanciunas, according to Jovan Buha. On his Q&A show, he noted that the Lakers might revisit a trade for Jonas Valanciunas, as the player was one of the names on LeBron James' list of prospects the Lakers should try for.
“There was some interest, obviously. He was on LeBron’s list, so I think the Lakers will probably revisit that. But I don’t think there’s as much interest as a guy like a Wendell Carter or some of these other guys that have popped up. So, I view it more as more of a mid-to-low tier trade target for them.”
(38:32 onwards)
Jonas Valanciunas recently signed for the Washington Wizards in free agency. The deal was for three years, $30 million. The Lakers might decide to take a chance and trade for him, as his contract is affordable for them, and they wouldn't have to give up too much for him.
At the same time, if he is a player that LeBron James wants, there is a good chance that the Lakers pull the trigger on the trade. James is the leader of the franchise, and the Lakers will want to keep him happy in the years to come as they have invested so much into his tenure with the franchise.
On top of that, the Wizards are looking to move Valanciunas when he becomes trade-eligible during the course of the season. Of course, the Lakers are not the only team interested in him, and they would face competition from other teams in the NBA, especially as they move closer to the trade deadline.
What Would Valanciunas Bring To The Lakers?
Valanciunas is an interesting option for the Lakers, as he could help maximize their lineup. Anthony Davis famously doesn't enjoy playing center and prefers playing the power forward position instead.
Landing a stretch big like Valanciunas would allow AD to play his preferred position, with a big who can shoot the three, would undoubtedly make the Lakers a better team.
Last season with the Pelicans, Valanciunas averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, and helped the Pelicans reach the playoffs through the play-in tournament. But his lack of defense is a concern, which will force Anthony Davis to step up on the defensive end of the court to make up for that.
Davis, despite being more comfortable at power forward, prefers to defend the interior, even though he is a good perimeter defender, and as such, could step up as the makeshift interior defender while Valanciunas' responsibility is mostly limited to rebounding and performing at the offensive end of the court.
The Lakers may want to evaluate all of their options before making a move for the Lithuanian big, as they might find better alternatives in the market. Making a trade for the sake of a trade is a mistake the Lakers have made in the past, and they should avoid repeating the same mistakes.
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