NBA Rumors: Pelicans could cut ties with veteran Lithuanian big man after disappointing playoffs stint
Jonas Valanciunas might not be wearing a New Orleans Pelicans jersey next season, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto. The Lithuanian big man has played three seasons with the Pelicans.
The rumor report was done in "The HoopsHype podcast" alongside The Athletic's Will Guillory regarding the outlook of the Pelicans' future with this current core of players.
Scotto highlighted the murky territory regarding Valanciunas' future with the team.
"There's a sense Jonas Valanciunas won't return as a Pelican this offseason in free agency," Scotto said. "Valanciunas essentially split center minutes with Larry Nance Jr. this season and was benched often to close games."
Despite the disappointing first-round exit to the OKC Thunder in this year's NBA playoffs, the Pelicans still improved upon last season to finish as the eighth seed (49-33 record) in the Western Conference this season.
However, shortcomings in the Zion Williamson era seemed to have resulted in more urgency following Pelicans executive David Griffin's comments about the necessary steps with this franchise moving forward.
League insider described Jonas Valanciunas as unfit with this New Orleans Pelicans roster as part of his NBA rumors report
During "The HoopsHype Podcast" episode involving an NBA rumors report about Jonas Valanciunas, Michael Scotto highlighted the Pelicans center's presence on the court as a roadblock for Zion Williamson and the team's offensive potential.
"When Zion is healthy and playing, Valanciunas occupies the paint and clogs driving lanes for Zion," Scotto said. "While he’s still a double-double threat, he’s not an ideal fit for this roster, and his near double-double production will likely be more valued by other teams on the unrestricted free-agent market."
In the three seasons he's played for the Pelicans, Valanciunas has averaged 14.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Despite starting his first season shooting 36.1% from 3-point range, his efficiency from beyond the arc steadily decreased over the years until he finished this season with a 30.8% shooting.
It's troubling enough when the team's starting center is not playable during crunch time, but to not be a suitable fit to play alongside your franchise player certainly puts Valanciunas' spot at a disadvantage.
Despite being a walking double-double machine, his inability to defend in space and, more so, to provide effective rim protection isn't helping his case. Coupled with the fact that he can't play a stretch five position due to his inefficient shot from 3-point range, it will be interesting to see how the team will handle the big man in the offseason following the NBA rumors report.