Jonas Valanciunas

Last season marked Valanciunas' first with the Pelicans after he signed a two-year, $30.1 million extension with the team following a trade from the Grizzlies. Zion Williamson missing the entire season allowed Valanciunas to see plenty of usage, and he picked up right where he left off in Memphis. Last season was arguably the best of his career, and he reached career highs in points (17.8), assists (2.6) and made threes (0.8) per game, as well as free-throw percentage (82.0%). That resulted in the center ranking 43rd in eight-category fantasy on a per-game basis -- his third straight year in the top 55. His numbers may take a slight dip this season while playing next to the high-usage trio of Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram. We also may see Valanciunas shoot more threes to help space the floor for Williamson, who does all of his damage at the rim. Playing alongside Williamson could lead to more competition for rebounds, too, but Valanciunas should still be a walking 15-and-10, making him a high-floor option in the early-middle rounds of most fantasy drafts.

Last season was Valanciunas' best. The center saw 28.3 minutes per game and averaged 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 combined blocks-plus-steals with the Grizzlies. He also shot a career-high 59.2 percent from the field. That led to him ranking 41st in fantasy on a per-game basis -- his third season in a row improving his value. Valanciunas will be on a different team in 2021-22, however, as he was dealt from Memphis to New Orleans, where he'll now share a frontcourt with emerging star Zion Williamson. It would be surprising for Valanciunas to be given fewer minutes in his new environment, though it's possible his numbers take a slight dip while playing next to the high-usage tandem of Williamson and Brandon Ingram. It's also possible we see Valanciunas shoot more threes to help space the floor for Williamson, who does all of his damage at the rim. In theory, Valanciunas can space the floor, but he's never been a high-volume outside shooter, so it will be interesting to see if that part of his game is emphasized. Over the past four seasons, Valanciunas is a combined 97-of-270 (35.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Playing alongside Williamson could lead to more competition for rebounds, but Valanciunas should still be a walking 15-and-10, making him a high-floor option in the early-middle rounds of most fantasy drafts.

Valanciunas was a key contributor in his first full season in Memphis during the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 14.9 points, a career-high 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks across 26.4 minutes over 70 games. The big man spaced the floor more than any other season prior as well, averaging a career-high 1.3 three-point attempts per contest and draining them at a 35.2 percent clip. The towering Lithuanian was pivotal to Memphis clinching a play-in berth in the Orlando bubble as well, posting six double-digit scoring efforts in seven seeding games, with five double-doubles and one triple-double in that span. Valanciunas displayed strong chemistry with dynamic point man Ja Morant and formed a formidable frontcourt tandem with Jaren Jackson. With Jackson having undergone meniscus surgery in August, there's a chance Valanciunas shoulders a bigger workload down low early in the 2020-21 season as his teammate rounds back into form. Under any circumstance, Valanciunas' solid offensive profile should keep his involvement on that end of the floor steady, potentially as a No. 3 or No. 4 option on many nights with small forward Kyle Anderson primarily focused on defense and fellow wing Dillon Brooks' shot still having plenty of room for improvement.

Valanciunas was traded to the Grizzlies shortly before the trade deadline in the Marc Gasol deal, playing 19 games with Memphis. He started 17 of those and put together strong averages of 20.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. It was a career stretch for the Lithuanian big man, who has averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 boards and 1.0 blocks over the last six seasons. He took on a greatly expanded role post-trade, going from just 18.8 minutes per night in Toronto to 27.7 in Memphis. He signed a three-year, $45 million extension to remain with the Grizzlies, and he will start at center opposite Jaren Jackson in what should be a formidable frontcourt. Expect Valanciunas to carry a similar workload as he did in his brief run with Memphis at the end of last season. He'll be a quality source of points, rebounds and blocks, making him likely one of the top-75 players off the board in most fantasy formats this season.

Valanciunas once again put up strong per-minute numbers in his sixth season despite his workload being the smallest of his career. He finished the year averaging just 22.4 minutes, which was likely an attempt by the Raptors to go with some smaller, more athletic lineups to matchup better with opponents across the league. Despite more than a three-minute drop in his playing time from the year prior, Valanciunas upped his scoring to 12.7 points, and also kept similar averages elsewhere with 8.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 blocks. His value could see a resurgence heading into the upcoming campaign as well. Recently promoted head coach Nick Nurse appears to be a big fan of the seven-footer and thinks he can be effective playing alongside Kyle Lowry and newly acquired Kawhi Leonard, who was brought over in a trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio. Valanciunas already previewed a solid three-point stroke last year, knocking down 30-of-74 attempts (40.5 percent) and has apparently continued to work on it this offseason. That improvement could help expand his game and keep him on the floor for longer durations. The Raptors haven't confirmed who will start in the frontcourt, but Valanciunas should reclaim his top spot at center, with the likes of Serge Ibaka and OG Anunoby alternating as the starting power forward. With promising youngster Jakob Poeltl also being sent to the Spurs, Valanciunas has the potential to see a slight uptick in his workload, which opens the door for him to out-perform his likely draft positioning in the mid-to-late rounds of drafts.

It was a relatively disappointing 2016-17 campaign for Valanciunas, as he didn't quite have the statistical jump that was envisioned following the departure of Bismack Biyombo to the Magic. Valanciunas ended up averaging nearly identical minutes per game with 25.8, while adding 12.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over 80 starts, both of which were similar to the previous year's totals. The addition of Serge Ibaka at the trade deadline certainly didn't help either, as that allowed the Raptors to use a more athletic center that could stretch the floor occasionally, which appears to be the trend in today's NBA landscape. With Ibaka receiving a three-year, $65 million extension this offseason, that will likely again hamper Valanciunas' ability to show improvement with his overall production. He's still penciled in as the team's starting center, but Ibaka's versatility could continue to be an issue. Playing time similar to the 25.8 minutes he saw in 2016-17 is expected for the 25-year-old, although if the Raptors continue to experiment with a more athletic lineup and are successful in doing so, that could come at the expense of Valanciunas, which would hurt his potential as a Fantasy option.

While he didn’t quite develop into a fantasy star at the center spot in his fourth NBA campaign, Valanciunas nonetheless showed some incremental growth, which he’s been able to do during every season of his career. The 24-year-old didn’t benefit from a minute increase in 2015-16, but still averaged a career-high 12.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game and shot 56.5 percent from the floor and 76.1 percent from the charity stripe. A fractured left hand ended up costing Valanciunas 22 games, disrupting what could have been a far more explosive breakout season. In Valanciunas’ stead, the energetic Bismack Biyombo proved to be a quality replacement in the starting lineup and was especially magnificent in the playoffs, when Valanciunas missed a few games with a sprained ankle. Biyombo’s capable presence either as a starter or off the bench certainly helped the Raptors from a team standpoint, but it hurt Valanciunas’ statistical output, as coach Dwane Casey often chose to split the minutes evenly between the two rather than riding one option more heavily. However, with Biyombo since bolting for the Magic this summer on a four-year, $72 million contract, Valanciunas no longer faces many threats to his playing time, as neither of his projected backups, Lucas Nogueira and first-round pick Jakob Poeltl, have served as regular rotation options in the NBA. With the promise of expanded minutes this season, only a bad beat on the health front stands in the way of Valanciunas surging past last year’s statistics. It’s probably best to view the fractured hand that temporarily derailed Valanciunas in 2015-16 as a fluke, considering he missed only three combined games in the preceding two seasons.

While expectations for Valanciunas were sky-high when he was drafted back in 2011, his slow progress has caused some Raptors fans to question whether he was really a long-term piece of the puzzle, but GM Masai Ujiri squashed any thought of getting rid of the young Lithuanian when he inked him to a four-year, $64 million extension this offseason. While he's not an elite center, Valanciunas is a positive contributor, averaging 26 minutes, 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 80 games while shooting 57 percent from the floor and 79 percent from the free-throw line, excellent shooting numbers for a big man. At this point in his career, he should be able to handle a bigger workload, but Raptors coach Dwane Casey all but refuses to leave Valanciunas in the game when the other team uses a smaller lineup, a decision that makes some sense in the moment given Valanciunas' defensive struggles against quicker opponents but which has also unquestionably hindered his development. Casey may now face an additional $64 million in pressure to leave Valanciunas in the lineup come what may, so this season may be his best chance to prove he has true star potential.

Young centers can often take some time to blossom, and Valanciunas was no exception in his second NBA campaign. The 22-year-old Lithuanian still turned in solid numbers as he played in and started 81 games, averaging 11.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 28 minutes per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor and an impressive-for-a-big 76 percent from the free-throw line (albeit on just 3.2 attempts per game). He was out of position too often on the defensive end to take full advantage of his shot-blocking potential, and despite the slew of talented, athletic guards and wings around him on the Raptors' roster, Valanciunas still tries to do a little too much offensively. He's got good size and athleticism and is developing a solid mid-range shot, and as his skills and maturity catch up with his physical tools, Valanciunas should become a consistent double-double threat. With DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry in place as the backcourt engine of the Raptors, the club is prepared to take their time and let Valanciunas develop at his own pace. He may not break out in 2014-2015, but he should take another step forward.

The 21-year-old center had an up-and-down rookie campaign with the Raptors. He routinely displayed some of the skills that made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 draft, but he wasn't able to find his groove until late in the season. Once the Raptors opted to loosen the leash and hand over a full compliment of minutes to Valanciunas late in the season, he flashed future All-Star potential. Over the final 17 games of the regular season, Valanciunas averaged 14.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 63 percent from the floor and 84 percent from the line in 32 minutes per game. His productive ways carried over to the Las Vegas Summer League, where Valanciunas averaged 18.8 points and 10.0 rebounds en route to winning MVP honors. He bulked up significantly in the offseason, which should help deal with the physical rigors of the NBA game. And his skill set is considered elite for a young big man, as he has better-than-advertised athleticism and a deft touch around the rim, which will lead to a high shooting percentage. The Raptors parted ways with Andrea Bargnani this offseason and plan to hand over the keys to Valanciunas going forward. He'll have a much bigger role in his sophomore campaign and figures to be one of the more popular breakout options at the center position.

After falling to the Raptors with the fifth pick in 2011, Valanciunas will finally make his North American debut. He put up respectable numbers in Euroleague competition but struggled badly in the Olympics. He heads into the NBA looking like a solid defensive presence in the paint with great length (he's 6-11 with a big wingspan), a penchant for foul trouble and an unpolished offensive game. Don't expect a huge impact in any category outside of perhaps blocks, but in a few years there's a good chance he'll be the best true center in franchise history. If you need a comp to a current player's development curve, Tyson Chandler might be the best fit.