The Raptors are looking into the possibility of moving Jonas Valanciunas and the No. 23 pick in this year’s draft, two league sources tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). It’s not clear what sort of return Toronto would be seeking, but the team likely won’t want to take back much salary.
As Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun wrote on Wednesday, Valanciunas would become somewhat expendable for the Raptors if the team re-signs Serge Ibaka in free agency. And at this point, Toronto is confident about its chances to bring back Ibaka.
If the Raptors are able to re-sign both Ibaka and Kyle Lowry, going deep into the luxury tax will be a real concern, so it makes sense that the club would look to move some salary. Although Valanciunas’ lack of outside shooting ability makes him a bit of a tricky fit for some teams, he should still have more trade value than teammate DeMarre Carroll.
Both Valanciunas and Carroll have two guaranteed seasons left on their respective deal, though Valanciunas has a player option for 2019/20. Valanciunas will earn $15.46MM in 2017/18, while Carroll will make $14.8MM.
Valanciunas needs a change of scenery. He’s fallen out of favor in Toronto and a trade would likely help both sides.