New Orleans Pelicans Expected to Move on From Starter

After a first-round playoff exit, changes appear to be on the horizon for the New Orleans Pelicans. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, expectations are that New Orleans’ starting center, Jonas Valanciunas, will move on this summer. Valanciunas is an unrestricted free agent after spending the last three seasons in New Orleans.

There’s a sense Jonas Valanciunas won’t return as a Pelican this offseason in free agency, I’m told. Valanciunas essentially split center minutes with Larry Nance Jr. this season and was benched often to close games. When Zion is healthy and playing, Valanciunas occupies the paint and clogs driving lanes for Zion. While he’s still a double-double threat, he’s not an ideal fit for this roster, and his near double-double production will likely be more valued by other teams on the unrestricted free-agent market.

Furthermore, Will Guillory, Pelicans staff writer for The Athletic, echoed Scott’s belief, saying he would “be pretty surprised” if Valanciunas returned.

I’d be pretty surprised if he was back because of how they were treating his spot in the rotation late in the season. There were a few times when they didn’t play him in the second half and prioritized having space around Zion, and I think they’ll want that in a center of the future next to Zion moving forward.

Last season, Valanciunas started all 82 games for the Pelicans. However, he averaged just 23.5 minutes per game, the lowest full-season mark of his career since the 2017-18 season. In that time, Valanciunas averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc.