NBA Insider doesn't rule out Jonas Valanciunas trade to Lakers ahead of trade deadline
The LA Lakers had a quiet summer with minimal trades, but according to ESPN and NBA Insider Dave McMenamin, the trade window and the time leading up to the deadline is to watch out for as LA will look to upgrade the roster. He zeroed in on center Jonas Valanciunas as one of the key names to watch out for, especially after the Purple and Gold missed out on signing the now-Washington Wizards big.
Valenciunas inked a three-year, $30 million deal with the Wizards earlier this summer, and this saw the Lakers miss out on "the bruising center" they were looking out for. However, with Washington in a rebuild, McMenamin in his latest wrote that LA has enough assets to deal with to swing a trade with the capital team.
Adding Valenciunas would also open up the opportunity for present big, Anthony Davis to play his preferred No. 4 position at power forward. This would also give the Lakers more steel on the defensive end of the floor.
At the time of writing, the team is thin in the center department with Christian Wood out for eight weeks following knee surgery, and Jarred Vanderbilt opting out of foot surgery, prolonging his recovery time. The focus will be on Jaxson Hayes and Colin Castleton to play backup centers until Wood returns.
Lakers insider had once labeled Jonas Valanciunas a low-tier target
Before Dave McMenamin's latest take on the Lakers trade scenarios, The Athletic's Jovan Buha had weighed in on the trade possibility when Jonas Valanciunas was one of the preferred targets. While his inexpensive deal makes it easier for LA to acquire him, Buha believed he was a low-tier trade target. Speaking on his Buha's "Block" podcast series on YouTube, he said:
“There was some interest obviously, and he was on LeBron’s list. So I think the Lakers will probably revisit that but I don’t I don’t think there’s as much interest as a guy like Wendell Carter or some of these other guys that have popped up. I view Jonas like a mid to low-tier trade target."
The upcoming season marks a season of the unknown for LA. With the same roster, a new head coach in JJ Redick, and a perennial health question mark hanging over LeBron James and Anthony Davis' heads, there's intrigue and yet a certain level of optimism attached to their campaign. Only time will tell if the new season sees them make another deep playoff run.