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Jonas Valanciunas seems to be well respected by his fellow New Orleans Pelicans teammates, but his time playing with them may be coming to an end.
According to Mike Scotto, via NBACentral, it’s expected that Valanciunas won’t return as a Pelican this offseason and will instead explore free agency.
There’s a sense Jonas Valanciunas won’t return as a Pelican this offseason in free agency, per @MikeAScotto
(Via https://t.co/IhoVwuuc2A) pic.twitter.com/n8TPm2PUYr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 10, 2024
For anyone who has been paying close attention to the Pelicans this season, it’s not all that surprising to hear that Valanciunas is thinking of packing his bags.
The 32-year-old big man has seen his role on the court change over the last season, with more minutes given to Larry Nance Jr.
He can still be a huge benefit to the Pelicans but apparently he doesn’t fit in the team’s plans as much right now.
In 2023–24, he averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds and has a career average of 13.4 points and 9.5 rebounds.
If Valanciunas does decide to walk away from New Orleans, there will be multiple teams vying for him.
He is a very talented center who can provide a lot, either as a starter or off the bench.
Just because the Pelicans aren’t making enough time for him doesn’t mean that Valanciunas won’t receive a ton of interest from other squads throughout the league.
Perhaps the most promising part about Valanciunas is that he remained healthy and played all 82 games this season.
Many teams in the NBA could use the big man expertise of Valanciunas and he could be one of the most coveted targets on the free agency market this summer if he decides to leave New Orleans.
He has been with the Pelicans for three seasons but is Valanciunas about to say goodbye?
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