No losers in Valanciunas trade
Former Raptor thriving with Grizzlies two years after trade for Gasol
He matured so much in Toronto: morphed into a grown man here, saw his children born and his family grow.
It was a coming-of-age period for a young man and, of course, Jonas Valanciunas looks back fondly on that time for far more important reasons than just sports.
“Toronto, Canada, was my second home,” Valanciunas said Monday morning.
“I was talking with somebody from Toronto and basically remembered that this is not just basketball for me. That’s where a lot of memories of my life happened. Toronto is always going to be remembered as a big thing in my life.”
It is now, though, a thing of the past.
It was two years ago last Sunday that his professional career was torn asunder. In a deal that put the Raptors over the top in their pursuit of the 2019 NBA championship, the young Lithuanian centre was traded along with Delon Wright and C.J. Miles to the Memphis Grizzlies for Marc Gasol.
It was a brilliant mid-season move for the Raptors. Gasol provided the last bit of experience needed to get the team over the hump. It was a necessary move for Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster because they had to seize the moment as it was presented to them.
They traded young for old (Valanciunas was 26 at the time, Gasol was 33) but they also dealt inexperience for wisdom, and in the short term it made entire sense.
Coach Nick Nurse, who had spent a lot of time with Valanciunas in Toronto and in Lithuania for off-season workouts, knew it hit the young player hard.
“Those things happen kind of fast, and then the guy’s kind of on the move,” Nurse said before Monday night’s 128-113 win in Memphis. “I believe we were on the road. I just remember sitting down with him for a little bit, just talking about (how) stuff happens in the league. Stay positive. I’m sure it’ll be a good home for you.
“And it’s turned out to be a good home for him, you know. He got a new contract here, which is great.”
Fans focused only on the present may have questions. Gasol left for the Lakers, with nothing in return; Valanciunas is still just 28 and a key part of a solid young Memphis team. But a legitimate chance to a win a title doesn’t come around too often, and history would suggest the euphoria of that Gasol-anchored championship run was worth it.
“I had never been traded, so I had been with the same team for (about) seven years,” Valanciunas said on a video conference call with reporters before the game. “At the time I was kind of shocked, because you don’t know what you’re going through and it’s kind of a new thing for you.
“But I adapted. I’m feeling good. I’m a basketball player, I want to play. I get a chance here and that’s all I need. I’m playing minutes, I’m playing basketball, I’m blessed.”
Valanciunas is also still pretty good. Monday’s game was just his second after missing five as part of the NBA’s ever-evolving health and safety protocols, and it was his best of the season: 27 points and 20 rebounds.
He went into the night averaging 15.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. Those are nearly career highs. He averaged 15.6 points per game in 2018-19, and 11.3 rebounds last season.
“I think he’s had a really good run here,” Nurse said. “I think they do a really good job. They run some sets for him. They do a really good job getting him the ball deep. He works hard. He continues to be a force down there.
“You’ve got to keep him off the glass and you’ve got to worry about his scoring.”