The Los Angeles Lakers are zeroing in on a veteran center still under contract with a Western Conference rival, and the other team is reportedly happy to listen. With Walker Kessler locked in as the starter and the backup spot wide open after the DeAndre Ayton trade, Rob Pelinka is working to fill a hole that only got bigger this offseason.
There’s mutual interest, a contract deadline creating urgency, and a player whose future just got a lot less certain than it looked a few weeks ago.
Lakers, Nuggets Have Mutual Interest in Jonas Valančiūnas
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that Denver has been shopping Valančiūnas since the season ended, with talks picking up around the NBA Draft. The Nuggets were exploring multiple scenarios, including packaging him with the No. 26 overall pick.
That pick eventually went to San Antonio for the No. 35 selection and two future second-rounders. Valančiūnas didn’t go anywhere, but he’s still available. The clearest signal in the report was this: “the Lakers’ interest is certainly welcomed by the Nuggets, who have made Valanciunas available in trade conversations since Denver’s season ended,” per Stein and Fischer.
That’s not just a team listening to offers. Denver wants this to happen. Valančiūnas is on an expiring $10 million deal for next season, but only $2 million of that becomes guaranteed if he’s waived by July 8.
The Nuggets are already sitting above the second apron, and with Marvin Bagley now added as frontcourt depth, Valančiūnas becomes easier to move. A trade involving a future second-round pick could get this done without much friction.
ESPN’s Shams Charania had previously identified Valančiūnas, Andre Drummond and Kevon Looney as the Lakers’ top backup center candidates. Drummond is off the board, having signed with the champion New York Knicks.
That leaves Los Angeles with fewer proven options at a position where experience genuinely matters. Valančiūnas spent the 2025-26 season playing behind Nikola Jokić, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 65 games while shooting 58.2% from the field.
The numbers are modest, but he brings physicality in the interior, reliable post scoring, and over 1,000 career games to a second unit that needs an anchor. His ties to Europe had made a return look likely.
BasketNews reported that Valančiūnas had already committed to joining Zalgiris Kaunas on a two-year deal, contingent on securing his release from Denver.
Stein and Fischer noted that the European path has become “suddenly a murky topic again,” which aligns with the growing number of NBA teams seeking proven size. The Lakers are the most prominent name in that conversation right now
