The New Orleans Pelicans tore down their roster and will have a very different team around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Gone are grumpy veterans Eric Bledsoe and J.J. Redick, and starters Steven Adams and Lonzo Ball are also on different teams.
It’s debatable whether the Pelicans’ have done enough to improve this offseason, but they will be a much younger and more athletic team.
One position that should be much better is center, as Jonas Valanciunas is a big upgrade from Steven Adams, who doesn’t offer much more than a stout screen on offense.
On paper, Valanciunas is the perfect type of big to put with Zion, as he can shoot and will hopefully stay out of Zion’s way in the lane.
But Valanciunas is going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, so it will be interesting to see if he is part of the long-term plans.
Will the New Orleans Pelicans re-sign Jonas Valanciunas?
The Pelicans are in an interesting position with Valanciunas, as he is on a team-friendly contract that only runs through next season.
The Pelicans don’t have any bad contracts, so they will be in a position to re-sign Valanciunas without hurting their long-term plans.
If he plays well and meshes with Zion, that is a distinct possibility, though it will probably come down to how much he wants. Valanciunas is likely to get $20 million per season in his next contract and after the Pels just balked at paying Lonzo Ball that much, it’s hard to see them splashing out for another guy who is pushing 30 and has never made an All-Star team.
It’s possible that Valanciunas is going to be a rental, and that the Pels will either let him walk and use the cap space to get a third star, or use him as a trade chip sometime before the deadline.
I think we’ll be seeing Valanciunas in a lot of trade rumors, especially if the New Orleans Pelicans get out to a slow start.
The Pels will take a wait-and-see approach but I could definitely see Valanciunas having a short career in New Orleans if things don’t go right.