Jonas Valanciunas moved to the Washington Wizards during the offseason, but he might not stay there for the full 2024-25 season. According to Lakers’ insider Jovan Buha, the LA franchise sees the Lithuanian superstar as a top trade target for this season.
The Lakers were interested in signing Valanciunas, but they did not have enough cap space to sign him in a deal as a free agent. With him joining the rebuilding Wizards, the Lakers might still have a chance to bring him to LA.
Valanciunas is on a three-year deal worth over $30 million with the Washington Wizards after spending the last few seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the field during the past season.
Valanciunas is a career 34.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc. His time with the Wizards might be a nice chance to pump up his numbers and secure a spot in a contending team after being part of a playoff contender in New Orleans in recent years.
The Lithuanian opted out of the national team play this summer with the goal to secure a long-term deal in the NBA. He has remained injury-free during his NBA career, starting his NBA journey with the Toronto Raptors.
Valanciunas might be the right fit for the Lakers
Jonas Valanciunas expanded his game during the past seasons after starting as a primary threat from the low post. His face-up game improved drastically during his time with the Pelicans, as the Lithuanian was forced to create space inside for Zion Williamson.
His game aligns perfectly with the present Lakers’ roster, as he can play alongside Anthony Davis or act as a backup center in the event that Davis is called upon to play at the center position.
That said, the Lakers will need all the firepower they can get under the rim, having Minnesota and Denver as leading Western Conference opponents. Valanciunas could provide a much better challenge inside the paint and allowed the Lakers to compete against the Nuggets’ 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Minnesota’s highly skilled center trio.
The Lakers lost to Denver in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs in five games.
