Lakers Trade for Jonas Valančiūnas Would Be Perfect Move Amid NBA Trade Rumors

The most consistent story surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers this season has been the team's need for roster depth, particularly at the center position.

The organization has been linked to several players, with rumors and speculation suggesting the front office will make a move ahead of the trade deadline to solidify the roster and put the team in a position to compete for an NBA title.

One such report came from Jake Fischer, who told B/R that Washington Wizards center Jonas Valančiūnas "is definitely a name that you continue to hear being bandied about as a Lakers trade target."

The big man is the type of player that would fit the Lakers' needs.

At 32, he is a veteran who has played a lot of basketball in the NBA. He has played most of the 82-game schedule throughout his 14-year career, showing a sturdiness that a team like L.A., with its many injuries in recent years, desperately needs.

He has averaged 25.6 minutes per game throughout his career and in 2024, shoots 58.1 percent from the paint. He is averaging 12 points a game, but that could be a reflection of playing for a bad Wizards team more than proof of diminishing scoring.

The availability and durability are key because they not only give the Lakers that much-needed depth in the event of injury, but they also create a scenario where Valančiūnas can start a few games at center, allowing Anthony Davis to have the night off or for the MVP candidate to slide out to the forward position, a spot he much rather prefers to the five.

If nothing else, it takes the pressure off of Davis to play 35.5 minutes a game, which he is averaging through his first 19 of the year, preserving his health for a playoff run, if the Lakers make it that far in a loaded Western Conference.

Valančiūnas is not a flashy player and probably will not encourage an overwhelming exclamation of excitement for the remainder of the Lakers season. What he will do is fit nicely into JJ Redick's system and provide the team with what it needs as opposed to simply making headlines for a move it does not.

He will have to improve his three-point shooting (just 25 percent in 2024) as it is a preferred element of Redick's offense, but that can be fine-tuned to complement everything else the big man brings to the table.