Report: Raps offered up Valanciunas to 5 teams on draft day

The Toronto Raptors are trying to offload Jonas Valanciunas, but no team wants to lend a hand.

Toronto offered Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Atlanta Hawks during the draft, but none of the talks went very far, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.

Deveney also reports that the Raptors also offered Valanciunas to the Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans at last season's trade deadline, but again, no deal was struck.

Valanciunas started 300 games for the Raptors over the last four seasons, each of which culminated in a trip to the playoffs. He is an efficient finisher around the basket and a prolific rebounder. Valanciunas is also a reliable shooter from the mid-range on limited attempts, and only recently turned 25.

But at the same time, Valanciunas plays a ground-bound style that is at odds with the modern game. His poor defensive instincts and slow feet render him a liability in a pick-and-roll defense and he doesn't stretch the floor.

The Raptors also have something of a logjam at center. Serge Ibaka - freshly signed to a $65-million deal - prefers to play five although he can slot in as a power forward if necessary. Shedding Valanciunas could also give playing time to prospects Jakob Poeltl, Lucas Nogueira, and Pascal Siakam.

Toronto might also be motivated to shed the $50 million left on Valanciunas' deal since they have spent much of their summer trying to offload bloated contracts. Rotation pieces in Cory Joseph, Patrick Patterson, P.J. Tucker, and DeMarre Carroll have already been sacrificed as the Raptors ardently look to duck under the luxury tax.

Valanciunas averaged 12 points and 9.5 rebounds last season while shooting 55.7 percent from the field, while posting a PER north of 20 for the third straight season.