LA Lakers Trade Rumors: Lakers Tied To Jonas Valanciunas in Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers are still looking for a strong center to take some of the load of the 'five' off Anthony Davis. They had interest in acquiring Jonas Valanciunas in free agency earlier this offseason, but perhaps they weren't in a position to match the three-year, $30 million contract the Washington Wizards signed the big Lithuanian center to.

That doesn't mean, however, that they won't consider adding Valanciunas later in the coming season, at the trade deadline. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers could "revisit" acquiring the big man at that point.

There was some interest, obviously. He was on LeBron’s list, so I think the Lakers will probably revisit that (by investigating a trade with the Wizards).

Valanciunas has been a very serviceable center and board man over his dozen years in the league since being selected with the No. 5 overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2011. He's averaged 13.4 points and 9.5 rebounds. He notched 12.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 blocks per game for the New Orleans Pelicans last season, playing in all 82 games.

But all of this is not to say that he is the Lakers' No. 1 target, per Buha.

"I don’t think there’s as much interest (by the Lakers in JV) as (with) 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.”

Carter, a much more recent lottery pick, is just 25, compared to Valanciunas who is 32. Carter, of the Orlando Magic, offers somewhat similar production, but is seven years younger, and has also developed into a solid three-point shooter on more volume than Valanciunas. Carter has just one more year on his contract after the upcoming one, at a similar stipend to JV.