Jonas Valanciunas: Fair Or Overpaid?

The Toronto Raptors have had a busy offseason, targeting and adding four free agents to the roster. There were a few notable departures, but Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri felt as though the roster needed a shakeup after last season’s disappointing finish to their playoff run.

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The Raptors continued their summer of important decision-making when they signed Jonas Valanciunas to a four year, $64 million contract extension. The extension will prevent JV from becoming a restricted free agent during the offseason, but it will also come at a price, as the extension will eat into the Raptors’ salary cap room.

For many Raptors’ fans, JV has been a divisive figure. It is clear that the 23-year old has talent (and size to boot), but hasn’t quite lived up to the billing that many expected from him when Toronto drafted him. Head coach Dwane Casey has shown some reluctance in giving him too many minutes, especially during crunch time, where Valanciunas can often be seen on the bench despite having played a good game.

So, with that in mind, is the hefty price tag of $64 million worth it for a player who has to sit out late in games?

The thing holding Valanciunas back is his lack of defense, or perhaps, more accurately, a lack of fit with the Raptors’ defensive identity. Last season, the Raptors played a more aggressive brand of defense, which required JV to come out and hedge hard on the pick-and-roll coverage. This resulted in him being pulled away from the rim, and with his slower foot speed, it made it harder for him to recover.

During the offseason, one of the more under the radar moves that the Raptors’ front office pulled was to sign former Chicago Bulls assistant coach Andy Greer. The suspicion here is that the Raptors could be attempting an ICE-style defense next season – the exact same style that former Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau popularized.

The change in defensive scheme, especially one with a more conservative approach, will benefit Valanciunas, which could result in more late-game action for him.

On the offensive end, Valanciunas has grown steadily over the years. His field goal attempts decreased last season, but his percentages saw an increase across the board. The decrease in shot attempts could be attributed to the high-volume shooters the Raptors had on their roster last season (Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Lou Williams). With Williams now gone, there could be more shooting opportunities for Valanciunas, who is the more efficient of the two.

In the long run, $64 million over four seasons will be a bargain. With the cap projected to rise up to $89 million next season, JV’s $16 million will seem like less of a cap hit. In fact, many thought that he would receive a max-contract offer had he entered restricted free agency, which would be closer to $22.3 million next season.

For those that still cringe at the thought of offering a 23-year old non-All Star $16 million a season, welcome to the new NBA.

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