The Los Angeles Lakers might land Jonas Valanciunas in their hunt for a big man, according to Brian Windhorst. Speaking on The Hoops Hype podcast, Windhorst pointed out how JJ Redick’s comments in a recent interview about Anthony Davis led him to believe the Lakers may be interested in acquiring Jonas Valanciunas at some point this season.
“He said that they still really need to add, I think the word he used was a bruising center… Anthony Davis, First-Team All-NBA defense this year… Looks awesome. And even though he’s, like, almost never looked better defensively, you’ve got JJ Redick out there on the record saying that, ‘We need a bruising center.”
“[That’s] the reason they went after Jonas Valanciunas. By the way, do we think Jonas Valanciunas will be on offer from the Wizards midway through the season? I wouldn’t rule out Jonas Valanciunas eventually ending up a Laker this year.”
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Windhorst makes some salient points in his comment above. In fact, in the interview he is referencing, JJ Redick also explained why he didn’t vote for Anthony Davis for the NBA All-Defensive team last season. While Redick is a big fan of AD, he clearly wants to play him at the four and keep a traditional center at the five.
Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are not expected to be competitive this year and may want to be involved in the draft pool in order to acquire next year’s consensus first-overall pick Cooper Flagg. Adequate compensation from the Lakers could lead to them trading away the Lithuanian big man.
Would Jonas Valanciunas Make The Lakers Competitive In The West?
Jonas Valanciunas has shown that he can play an adequate role on a competitive team in the West during his stint with the New Orleans Pelicans. Valanciunas did well for them, despite the Pelicans struggling in the Western Conference against more well-rounded teams like the Thunder, who eliminated them from the playoffs.
The presence of Valanciunas on the court will allow Anthony Davis to relax a little on the defensive end and focus more on producing offensively for the Lakers, which is what they need from him. While AD has shown that he can do both, him being able to focus more on the offensive end will allow LeBron to do what he does best, which is control the game as the primary ball handler.
Last season, Valanciunas played all 82 games for the Pelicans, averaging 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. His presence on the interior was felt in a major way, as he averaged 0.8 blocks per game. Adding him will help the Lakers in the size department, where they are lacking in a major way.
This season is going to be a tough one for the Lakers. Despite having two of the best players in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they aren’t expected to be one of the best teams in the West, with many expecting them to struggle to even make the play-in tournament.
The Lakers, led by new head coach JJ Redick, will be eager to prove people wrong, as they look to show the same grit and determination that led them all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2023.
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