The Raptors’ search for a backup center just took another hit, and this one stings because Jonas Valanciunas looked like such a natural fit.
Toronto has spent the offseason trying to solve a problem that was obvious even with Sandro Mamukelashvili in the role last season. Mamu gave the Raptors a useful change of pace behind Jakob Poeltl, stretching the floor and knocking down jumpers.
But the fit had limits. He was undersized, not especially imposing physically, and not the kind of body Toronto could trust to soak up tough minutes, attack the glass, and keep possessions alive when Poeltl sat.
Valanciunas checked those boxes. After the Denver Nuggets waived him, the door opened for Toronto to make a move that made a lot of sense on paper.
He could have finished his NBA career where it started, brought real size and rebounding, and landed in a place he already knew well. The Raptors also could have offered him minutes on a team that still had a path to contention if the Kawhi trade went through.
Instead, the biggest threat came from elsewhere. On Wednesday, Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas announced it had signed Valanciunas.
That leaves Toronto in a tougher spot than it wanted to be. Valanciunas felt like the Raptors’ best shot at landing a proven backup center, and now the team may be staring at the 2026-27 season without one at all.
As things stand, Collin Murray-Boyles would be the default answer behind Poeltl. There’s no question Murray-Boyles has the tools to handle stretches at center.
He showed in round one of the 2026 playoffs against Cleveland that he could hold up against much bigger frontcourt players and win those matchups. He’s strong, physical, an elite defender, and a strong rebounder.
But asking a 6-foot-7 forward to bang with true centers every night is a different kind of burden, and it could take a toll over time.
That’s why some have looked to Toronto’s summer league group as the next place to search for help, with Nate Bittle and Jamarion Sharp as the names to watch. But both are still far from being everyday NBA players. If they were ready for that kind of role, they likely wouldn’t be undrafted free agents in the first place.
Signing either one would be more about betting on future upside than fixing the Raptors’ immediate problem for 2026-27.
And if the pending trade for Kawhi Leonard goes through, the pressure only ramps up from there. Expectations would shift fast for Canada’s lone NBA team. In that kind of setup, it’s hard to picture Toronto as a true championship-level threat if it keeps treating the backup center spot like an afterthought and heads into 2026-27 with Jakob Poeltl as the only real interior anchor.
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