The Lakers weren’t able to secure big man Jonas Valanciunas over the summer, but the organisation still has its sight set on him, according to one NBA insider.
The center was someone on LeBron’s hit list to target, so The Athletic’s Jovan Buha thinks signing Valanciunas isn’t totally out of the question in the future.
“There was some interest, obviously,” Buha said of Valanciunas on his YouTube channel. “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 currently on three-year deal worth over $30 million with the Wizards after spending the last three years seasons with the Pelicans.
During the 2023-24 season, Valanciunas appeared in all 82 regular season games for New Orleans, where 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 and 30.8 percent from three.
Elsewhere, B/R’s Dan Favale thinks that LA should make room on their roster for free agent Cedi Osman.
Over the past three seasons, he is sinking more than 57 percent of his twos and 37 percent of his threes.
Only seven other players in the league (Duncan Robinson, Corey Kispert, Trey Murphy, Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Michael Porter Jr. and Kevin Durant) are in this category, while taking as many threes as Osman (330).
“Exactly none of their wings or combo forwards are considered knockdown shooters,” Favale said. “Osman would upgrade their spacing at minimum, and his willingness to move without the ball should fit cleanly within head coach JJ Redick’s (presumed) offensive tenets.
“Los Angeles already has 15 guaranteed contracts on the books (and is a heartbeat away from the second apron). It’ll have to grease the wheels of a Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood or Cam Reddish trade to make room for Osman—a minor nuisance that, as of now, is absolutely worth doing.”
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