The New Orleans Pelicans will officially have a new starting center next season.
Jonas Valanciunas, the productive and durable Lithuanian who manned the middle for New Orleans for the last three years, is headed to the Eastern Conference. Valanciunas signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Washington Wizards on the opening night of free agency.
Valanciunas, 32, averaged 14.6 points and 10.1 rebounds with the Pelicans. He only missed 11 games in his three-year tenure with the team.
The Pelicans have wanted to add a rim-protecting center for more than a year. New Orleans had interest in Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen before the trade deadline in February and could still look to pry away Allen from the Cavaliers this summer, league sources said. The 26-year-old Allen has been central to the Cavaliers' top-10 defense over the past two seasons, and he is on a team-friendly contract. Allen will make $20 million in each of the next two seasons.
The Pelicans traded for Valanciunas in 2021. They sent the Memphis Grizzlies Steven Adams in a deal that also involved draft picks.
Valanciunas didn't get to suit up next to Zion Williamson at all in 2021-22; the Pelicans' star power forward missed the entire season with a broken right foot. Valanciunas averaged 17.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in his first season in New Orleans. He helped the Pelicans survive a 3-16 start to the year and rebound to make a surprise run to the Western Conference playoffs.
New Orleans made runs to the playoffs in two of Valanciunas' three seasons with the team.
In April, the Pelicans got swept by the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Afterward, executive vice president David Griffin vowed to make changes to New Orleans' roster.
On Friday, the Pelicans traded Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, E.J. Liddell and two first-round picks to the Atlanta Hawks for Dejounte Murray. The Murray trade addressed one of New Orleans' major roster needs: lead guard. Now, the Pelicans must figure out what they will do at center.
Brandon Ingram has one year remaining on his contract. It's possible the Pelicans use Ingram in a trade to acquire a center.
Late Sunday, the Pelicans learned they were losing Naji Marshall, an important bench player on last season's 49-win team. Marshall signed a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Marshall was one of the Pelicans' undrafted finds in 2020. He spent four seasons with the team.