Los Angeles Lakers Linked to Jonas Valanciunas Amid Waiver

Lakers Linked to Jonas Valanciunas Amid Waiver

The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as a potential suitor for 14-year NBA veteran Jonas Valanciunas, who was recently waived by the Denver Nuggets. Valanciunas, a 34-year-old big man, has averaged 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds in his 14-year NBA career.

What happened?

The Denver Nuggets officially parted ways with Valanciunas, who had a fully guaranteed $10 million decision today. He will now owe Valanciunas $2 million for the 2026-27 season. The Nuggets had been shopping Valanciunas since the season ended, with talks picking up around the NBA Draft.

Why it matters for Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have been retooling around All-NBA superstar Luka Doncic, re-signing shooting guard Austin Reaves to a long-term deal and completing a massive sign-and-trade for former Jazz center Walker Kessler. They also inked deals with Collin Sexton, Quinten Grimes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. With the waiving of Valanciunas, more frontcourt help could be on the way.

What comes next?

The Lakers have the opportunity to sign Valanciunas on the open market rather than being forced to give up assets to the Nuggets. The question is, are the Lakers still interested at this stage of the offseason? The Lakers' center rotation, featuring Kessler, Looney, and Mamukelashvili (in a fluid forward/center role), is ready to go for the upcoming season. Then again, it doesn't hurt to at least consider Valanciunas and bring him in as another depth piece.

Last season in Denver, playing behind three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Valanciunas was quite solid. Across 65 games, he averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 58.2% from the field in just 13.4 minutes per game. Other contenders in need of backup center help, such as the Heat or Knicks, could also pursue the 14-year veteran. Overall, the situation surrounding Valanciunas will be worth monitoring as the offseason rolls on.

Last result: Los Angeles Lakers 110-115 Oklahoma City Thunder (2026-05-12). Recent form (last 5): 0W-0D-5L (LLLLL, most recent first); lost the last 5.