The Los Angeles Lakers were unable to land center Jonas Valanciunas, a player that superstar LeBron James coveted, in free agency this offseason, but it appears they could revisit that in the future.
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Valanciunas could be among the names that the Lakers consider on the trade market, partially due to the fact that he was on James’ list this offseason.
“There was some interest, obviously,” Buha said of Valanciunas. “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.”
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.
During the 2023-24 season, Valanciunas appeared in all 82 regular season games for the Pelicans and averaged 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from 3-point range.
The big man could be a nice fit alongside Anthony Davis in the Lakers frontcourt, as he can stretch the floor from the center position. Valanciunas is a career 34.8-percent shooter from beyond the arc.
It’s possible that other centers come available during the 2024-25 season for the Lakers to pursue, such as Carter, who is a former lottery pick now playing with the Orlando Magic. Last season, Carter averaged 11.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37.4 percent from 3-point range.
At 25 years old, Carter is also a much younger player than Valanciunas.
Ultimately, the Lakers pursuing any trade target will likely come down to the price associated with the player in the trade market.
Los Angeles hasn’t been willing to make a massive trade for a star over the past year or so, holding on to some future draft picks in the process.
However, if the Lakers get off to a strong start and James and Davis are both healthy, it may be worth mortgaging some of the team’s future to chase a championship in the 2024-25 season.
With James set to turn 40 years old during the 2024-25 campaign, the Lakers may not have many chances left to compete for a title with their current core.
