The Los Angeles Lakers already made their major center move by acquiring Walker Kessler, but one new trade proposal would still have them paying a notable price for veteran frontcourt insurance.
Sporting News’ Caleb Hightower highlighted a proposal that would send Dalton Knecht out in a deal for Jonas Valanciunas, the veteran Denver Nuggets center who has remained connected to Los Angeles as the Lakers sort through their post-Deandre Ayton frontcourt.
The timing is what makes the idea more complicated.
NBA.com reported on July 2 that Los Angeles added Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler in a deal built around unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, plus first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Kessler was expected to sign a four-year, $130 million deal with the Lakers as part of the move.
That kind of investment makes Kessler the Lakers’ center of the future, not a placeholder.
But the Lakers’ frontcourt still changed again after that. Los Angeles traded Ayton to the Washington Wizards in a deal that brought back guard Jaden Hardy and future second-round draft capital, leaving Kessler as the clear anchor in the middle but reopening the question of who handles backup center minutes.
That is where Valanciunas still makes sense.
Jonas Valanciunas Would Be a Backup Plan, Not the Main Plan
Valanciunas, 34, is not the kind of player the Lakers would be acquiring to take Kessler’s job. He would be a second-unit stabilizer, a matchup big and a regular-season innings-eater for a team that just invested heavily in a younger defensive center.
That matters because the cleanest version of this idea is not “Lakers replace Ayton with Valanciunas.” The Lakers already replaced the long-term need by landing Kessler.
The more realistic question is whether Los Angeles wants a veteran behind Kessler who can rebound, screen, finish inside and survive bruising second-unit matchups. Valanciunas checks those boxes.
NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer indicated Denver has continued making Valanciunas available in trade discussions, with the Lakers’ interest viewed favorably by the Nuggets. Valanciunas is scheduled to earn $10 million next season, with only $2 million guaranteed if he is waived before July 8.
That deadline gives Denver urgency. It also gives the Lakers a window to decide whether they want to trade for Valanciunas, wait to see if he is waived or move in a different direction.
GettySACRAMENTO, CA – APRIL 13: Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Sacramento Kings smiles after making a basket in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on April 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California.
Dalton Knecht Is the Sticking Point for the Lakers
The player cost is what makes the Sporting News-linked idea debatable.
Knecht is not just salary filler. He remains one of the Lakers’ more interesting young trade chips because of his shooting profile, rookie-scale contract and positional value. For a Lakers roster built around Luka Dončić, spacing is not a luxury. It is part of the blueprint.
That does not mean Knecht should be untouchable. But using him as the centerpiece of a deal for a backup center is a harder sell unless the Lakers are getting something else of value or have already decided Knecht is unlikely to be part of JJ Redick’s rotation.
There is also a bigger roster-building issue. Heavy previously detailed how the Ayton trade could give Los Angeles more flexibility to package Hardy’s contract, Knecht’s salary and other pieces in a larger move for a starting-caliber wing.
That kind of deal may matter more than another center addition.
Valanciunas would help the Lakers in a clear role. But a wing who can defend, shoot and stay on the floor in playoff lineups may be a higher-value target, especially with Kessler already locked into the starting center spot.
Lakers Still Have a Real Need Behind Walker Kessler
The case for Valanciunas is not hard to understand.
Kessler gives the Lakers size, rebounding and rim protection, but relying on one true center over an 82-game season is risky. Valanciunas would give Los Angeles a different kind of big: more physical, more experienced and more comfortable absorbing contact against traditional centers.
He would also protect the Lakers from overextending Kessler early in the season after such a significant investment.
The question is whether that protection is worth Knecht.
If Valanciunas becomes available at a lower cost, the Lakers should be interested. If Denver’s price centers on Knecht, Los Angeles should hesitate.
Kessler’s arrival did not make Valanciunas irrelevant. It changed the standard for what the Lakers should be willing to pay.
Lakers Trade Proposal Gets $30 Million Veteran After Walker Kessler Deal