Love it or hate it, the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers keep getting linked to the same big men in the free-agent market.
After the Knicks took the lead in the race for veteran New Orleans Pelicans center Kevon Looney, edging the Lakers to it, it’s the Los Angeles mob who has now seemingly overtaken New York in the pursuit of Denver Nuggets big man Jonas Valanciunas while also getting some interest in Loony.
Looney seemed to be the Knicks’ primary target in the market before New York reached
a deal with Andre Drummond on Friday.
Now, according to NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Lakers have shown interest in both Looney and Valanciunas, with the Euro also being in New York’s radar, according to SNY’s Ian Begley and The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III.
“Looney remains on the Lakers’ radar, sources say, as does Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. The latter, remember, was a Lakers free agent target two summers ago before Valanciunas opted to sign a multiyear deal with Washington instead.
“Sources say that the Lakers’ interest, furthermore, is certainly welcomed by the Nuggets, who have made Valanciunas available in trade conversations since Denver’s season ended and especially in connection with the recent draft as the Nuggets explored various deals while also shopping the No. 26 overall pick.”
Stein and Fischer added another name to the list of potential Knicks’ targets for their backup center spots, reporting that New York is “monitoring” Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabate, whose expiring $2.5 million contract fit New York’s second-apron plans and could be easy to trade for in a one-for-one deal.
Back to Valanciunas, it looks like landing the Lithuanian could take a bit of patience on top of beating competitors such as the Lake Show.
Valanciunas has one year left on his contract with Denver at a $10 million cap hit, but that figure can drop to a $2 million guarantee if the Nuggets waive him by Wednesday, July 8. That deadline creates three realistic paths for the Nuggets and JoVa:
- Trade him before July 8, avoiding paying him the $10 (or $2) million entirely
- Keep him as Nikola Jokic’s backup at $10 million
- Waive him before July 8, saving $8 million and paying him $2 million
Obviously, given the self-imposed constraints the Knicks are operating with, the last outcome is the only viable path for the Knicks to land the veteran.
Following the Drummond signing, the Knicks have around $6.5 million to fill two roster spots before the start of the regular season while remaining below the second apron. That financial position makes a trade for Valanciunas at $10 million impossible, and even signing him could be a stretch depending on the center’s demands and the need to add at least another player.
Now, for the plot twist, BasketNews’ Jonas Miklovas and Karolis Tiskevicius reported on June 23 that Valanciunas had already committed to a two-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas as long as he gets waived and enters the NBA’s free-agent market.
“Jonas Valanciunas has committed to a two-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas, according to BasketNews sources, if he secures a release from his NBA contract with the Nuggets. If finalized, the veteran center will leave the NBA after 14 seasons and return to Lithuania.
“After 14 years in the NBA, Jonas Valanciunas is closing in on a return to Europe and has committed to Zalgiris Kaunas, if he secures a release from his NBA contract with the Denver Nuggets, according to BasketNews sources. If everything goes as planned, the Lithuanian center is expected to sign a two-year deal with Zalgiris.”
However, Stein and Fischer reported that the idea of Valanciunas being destined to return to Europe isn’t that clear. “NBA interest in Valanciunas seems to be growing given the increasing need for proven size,” they wrote. “The notion that Valanciunas is destined to return to Europe is suddenly a murky topic again.”
Valanciunas played 65 games for the Nuggets last season, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. Across 1,002 NBA games, he has averaged 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent.
For now, New York has already addressed its most pressing offseason need in signing Robinson’s replacement after Mitch left for the Celtics and Ariel Hukporti bolted out to Philly. Until Denver makes its decision, Valanciunas will remain an unresolved question, and by the time that happens, the Knicks might have found their second bench big man.
You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.
