Alonzo Adams – USA TODAY Sports
Heading into the offseason, one of the big priorities for the Los Angeles Lakers was acquiring another athletic center to help ease the burden on Anthony Davis, and one name that made a lot of sense was Jonas Valanciunas, who spent the past three seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans.
It was known that the Lakers had interest in Valanciunas, but the big man decided to sign a three-year, $30 million deal with the Washington Wizards, which may make it seem like Valanciunas is off the Lakers' radar, but that may not be the case.
On the latest episode of Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective, an ESPN insider couldn't rule out the possibility that Valanciunas could eventually don the purple and gold.
“I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Jonas Valanciunas might go to the Lakers this year. That's all I'm saying.”
As it stands, the Lakers are yet to acquire the big man, so it makes sense the franchise would still be interested in acquiring Valanciunas, who won't be eligible for a trade until Dec. 15, at which point the Lakers could gauge whether the Wizards are willing to part ways with him.
The Lakers make about the same as Gabe Vincent or Jarrett Vanderbilt and are under contract to make such a deal, so a draft pick for either player could make the trade happen, which raises the question of whether Valanciunas signed with the Wizards simply because it was the most money he could make.
Although his production dropped off a bit last season, Valanciunas proved to be a very effective offensive player and a good rebounder. Relieving the physical strain on Davis remains a priority for the Lakers, and a player like Valanciunas would be an ideal addition. The Lakers missed out on some free agency, but the window may not be closed just yet.
JJ Redick wants Lakers to sign 'big, strong' center
Lakers head coach JJ Redick has been open about his and the team's desire to add another center, and Redick said the Lakers would like to add a “big, strong five” in particular.
Redick spoke about this in a recent radio interview, noting that the top teams in the West – the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves – are all big guys and the Lakers will need to match up to compete.
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