Lakers trade rumors: Wizards’ Jonas Valančiūnas still ‘legit’ on LA’s radar | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

Amid an inconsistent start to the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are keeping an eye on the trade market in hopes of adding another big man to their rotation.

In the latest episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (starts at 9:06 p.m.), ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted that Washington Wizards center Jonas Valančiūnas is still “legitimately” on the Lakers’ radar.

“Matt Barnes played with Kobe,” McMenamin said. “This happens sometimes, but if you look at Valančiūnas, it is certainly a name that is still on the Lakers’ radar and we will have to see how the seasons go in Washington. Portland is having a very bad start to the year, but (Robert Williams III ) is back in the mix.”

The Lakers have been linked to Valančiūnas since the offseason, when it was said they might sign him in free agency.

Given the financial situation for the Lakers, especially since they also had to re-sign LeBron James, a free-agent deal for Valančiūnas was always going to be difficult to pull off. He eventually went to the Wizards in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Valančiūnas’ contract with the Wizards is only $30.3 million over three years, so it shouldn’t be difficult to make a trade if Washington wants to move on.

It would be a surprise if the Lakers don’t add a new center at some point during the season. Christian Wood is still on the roster, but he has yet to play due to a knee injury that required surgery in March.

Head coach JJ Redick told reporters on Tuesday that Wood has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation and will be reevaluated in four weeks. Even if Wood gets healthy enough to play, his history of defensive issues makes it difficult to trust him in key moments.

Anthony Davis, who previously had no interest in playing center, appears to have relented in the best interest of the team. It’s paid off so far, as he looks like an MVP candidate, averaging an NBA-level 31.2 points on 57.7 percent shooting, along with 10.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in nine starts.

Jaxson Hayes did well as a backup center. He is averaging 6.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 10 appearances.

Adding Valančiūnas would allow Redick to get more creative with his lineups. The Lakers could go with two bigs against certain opponents by playing Valančiūnas at center and moving Davis forward.

Valančiūnas is averaging 12.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game across nine games for the Wizards this season. They are off to a 2-7 start and should focus on their long-term future, which could make the 32-year-old big man expendable.

The Lakers are 6-4 to start the season and are seventh in the Western Conference, but their defensive rating of 117.0 is the seventh-worst in the NBA.