Reacting To The Jonas Valanciunas Trade
It has begun. The first domino has fallen as we have our first trade in over a month. The Kemba Walker trade was nothing special, but this trade involving the Pelicans-Grizzlies is a very interesting one. Today I will be going over the trade and what is means for both teams going forward.
So here’s the full breakdown of the trade;
Grizzlies Receive: Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, Picks #10 and #40, 2022 Top-10 Protected FRP (from Lakers)
Pelicans Receive: Jonas Valanciunas, Picks #17 and #51, Cap SPACE
Memphis Grizzlies
Yeah, I don’t know about this one. On paper, the Grizzlies aren’t getting a great package. I obviously expect them to flip Bledsoe and Adams so we’ll see what they get there, but I’m not in love with this move. But I kind of get why the Grizzlies did it.
Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant were one of the best pick and roll duos on the league. Ja had his reliable big guy who was an excellent rebounder and interior scorer. It’s a shame that they have to be split, but was there a guarantee that Valanciunas was staying past next season?
Not really. Valanciunas is heading into the final year of his contract, becoming a UFA in 2022 at the age of 30. He was going to be wanted by a lot of teams and maybe Memphis felt like they’d lose him. Maybe he wants to go to a real contender instead of a team on the rise. Perhaps one of the reasons they traded him, trying to get some value for a guy who isn’t guaranteed to comeback after next season.
But the return for Valanciunas is interesting. First, let’s talk about Bledsoe and Adams. Bledsoe is 31 years old and his contract isn’t great but it’s not terrible either. Bledsoe is getting paid $18.1 million for the upcoming 2021-22 season, but after this season, in 2022-23, his contract is only partially guaranteed and he becomes a UFA in 2023.
So the Grizzlies only really have one year of a bad Eric Bledsoe contract. Now I do hope they flip him for something, but if they do keep him, it’s not the worst thing in the world contractually. It’s only one year of trash instead of multiple.
Steven Adams is interesting. He’s a terrific rebounder and solid defender down low. Not to mention he’s very strong and looks like Jason Mamoa. But I don’t know about his fit with Ja. Steven Adams was great with Russell Westbrook but I think Ja needs a big guy who can score. Adams isn’t a scorer at heart and worse, he’s not a shooter like Valanciunas is.
Steven Adams’s contract extension kicks in next season. For the 2021-22 season, he’s getting paid $17 million. For the 2022-23 season, he’s getting paid $17.9 million. Be becomes a free agent after that in 2023. So he has two years of a big contract left, interesting to see what they do with him. Maybe they flip him, maybe they try him out for a year and then see what happens. I don’t know what that Morant-Adams duo is going to look like, interesting to see how that plays out.
But I think the Grizzlies did this trade for the pick. Getting the #10 pick in the draft is certainly a step up from the 17th pick. The Grizzlies have hit homeruns in late round picks, take Desmond Bane from last year with the 30th pick. They’re good at finding the steal of the draft. But now they’re in a position to take a really good player. Some guys who could be available are Franz Wagner, Keon Johnson, Moses Moody, guys like that.
There are options at #10 and if they hit on the pick, it’s another guy they can use for their rebuild. The Grizzlies just have to hit on this pick, otherwise the return package isn’t exactly great.
In short, this is a boom or bust trade for Memphis. They’re giving away Jonas Valanciunas, a great center, likely because they didn’t think they could keep him or get him to sign an extension. So they capitalized on his value and got some pieces. I like the #10 pick and they have a 2022 FRP from the Lakers as well. Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe are interesting, so we’ll see how their tenures in Memphis go. It’s a decent trade right now, but it’s highly possible we look at this trade as a steal in 1-2 years.
Grade: C+ with some upside
New Orleans Pelicans
The most important offseason in Pelicans offseason just got his first big move. They hired Willie Green, making it Zion’s 3rd coach in 3 years. They need stability and they made the right move by clearing Bledsoe and Adams. They’re getting a great player in return and while they are giving away the #10 pick, the Pelicans are in win now mode. They’re serious about becoming good and fast with Zion.
First, clearing Bledsoe’s and Adams’s contract was big. Bledsoe and Adams didn’t work out and you were paying them too much for what they were. Great job unloading those contracts, it’s always interesting to see how teams do that but I think the Pelicans did a fantastic job in that department.
Now, Jonas Valanciunas is your return piece. Oh how I love this move. Valanciunas might not be objectively better than Steven Adams, but he’s pretty close. Very good rebounder, especially on the offensive boards. Good screen setter and a solid pick and roll player for if the Pelicans keep Lonzo or sign somebody else (more on that later).
But most importantly, he can shoot. But it’s more than just Twitter videos in a gym, he’s done it in games. He shot 37% from 3 last year on about 1 attempt per game. If I had to guess, that number is going to be closer to 2-3 with the Pelicans as he can stretch the floor miles better than Steven Adams, making him a much more ideal center next to Zion than Steven Adams ever could be.
They are trading down 7 spots and giving up a 2022 Lakers FRP. I don’t really care about that. Like I said, the Pelicans are in win-now mode. Time to make moves. Now, the Pelicans fixed their shooting a bit with the addition of Valanciunas. But I would love for them to take shooters like Chris Duarte from Oregon or Tre Mann from Florida. Those guys can shoot and would help them a lot if they were to take them at #17.
Because the Pelicans cleared all that cap space, they have more flexibility this off-season. It was reported that the Pelicans wouldn’t match a big offer on Lonzo Ball. With this new cap space, maybe they can. Lonzo fits very well with Zion and he’s become a great shooter, in addition to his defense and passing. I really like Zion and I think they’d be making a mistake in letting him walk.
But, if they want to, Kyle Lowry. It was reported that Lowry wanted a 3yr/$90 million dollar deal, a pretty hefty contract offer. But one that New Orleans can likely offer now if they want to. Now, they’d have to choose between Lonzo and Lowry, but at least now they get a choice between both of them, which is a lot better for the front office.
This trade could be the first of many moves the Pelicans make this offseason. I like it for a lot of reasons. It shows Zion that you’re committed to winning by hiring a new coach and making moves that really help the team in the short and long term. I like the fit of Jonas Valanciunas next to Zion and the Pelicans might want to consider bringing him back farther than just the last year of his deal.
You get a lot of cap space for a potential Lowry signing or just more room to match whatever Lonzo Ball gets. You also still have a FRP in this year’s draft with good picks available. The Pelicans kind of hit a homerun here, so let’s see what they can do with this.
Grade: A-
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