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The Los Angeles Lakers were arguably the biggest losers during NBA free agency this summer, as every one of their rumored targets rejected their offers and signed with other teams.
Center Jonas Valanciunas was one of those speculated targets; however, he choose to play for the Washington Wizards, a team with the second-worst record in the league, rather than the Purple and Gold, who had won 32 games more than Washington.
However, this does not mean that Los Angeles will give up on Valanciunas. He is someone they might try to trade for in the upcoming months, according to at least one rumor, and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin acknowledged that he is “one name to watch.”
Via ESPN: “[LeBron] James offered to take a pay cut to open up the full midlevel exception to sign the free agent big man, but he opted for more guaranteed money from a three-year, $30 million deal in Washington,” wrote McMenamin. “Still, the Lakers need a center, the Wizards don’t figure to be contenders this season, and Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka has a proven record of getting deals done with Washington’s organization.”
Many feel the Lakers’ biggest weakness is another legitimate center aside from superstar Anthony Davis, and Valanciunas would likely fit the bill. He averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes a game this past season, and at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, he is a big body who can bother opponents defensively. The fact that his new contract is relatively modest means he may be a relatively inexpensive player for Los Angeles to land in a trade.
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