[d-ravParticipant]

The Toronto Raptors drafted Jonas Valanciunas with the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NBA draft knowing it would be at least a year before he came to the NBA. But a source close to the team told ESPN.com on Saturday that there’s a small chance they might be able to get him this season. The source said that the team reached out to Valanciunas’ agent over the weekend to gauge the center’s interest in joining the Raptors in 2011-12. If Valanciunas has interest, the Toronto would have to work out a buyout with his team in Lithuania, Lietuvos Rytas. Valanciunas does not currently have an NBA buyout for this season in his overseas deal, but things have changed for Lietuvos Rytas over the past five months. They failed to qualify for the Euroleague this season and the team will likely lose critical sponsorship money. Given the current situation, they need money more than Valanciunas. Does the Lithuanian center want to come to the NBA this season? Valanciunas told NBA teams prior to the draft that he felt he needed at least one more year in Europe to get stronger and play more minutes at the highest level before coming abroad. But the Raptors believe Valanciunas may be better served by joining the NBA now. The 19-year-old big man spent the entire summer and fall playing in Lithuania, giving him valuable experience. He showed what he was capable of in U-19 play, averaging a tournament-high 23 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game to lead Lithuania to the gold medal. Against Team USA and Florida’s Patric Young, a projected first-rounder in 2012, Valanciunas had 30 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. With the shortened NBA season, expectations also won’t be as high. If Valanciunas came to the Raptors, he can practice with the team, get minutes off the bench and use the season to acclimatize to the NBA. By the start of training camp next fall, the Raptors believe he would be ahead of where he would be if he stayed in Europe. If the Raptors are able to get Valanciunas now, it will be a major coup. Many NBA scouts believe he was the best long-term big man prospect in the 2011 draft and Toronto has a major need at the 5. The news would also come as a blow to the Cavs. Cleveland had been high on Valanciunas and was expected to select him with the No. 4 pick. However, concerns about his buyout situation in Lithuania arose the week before the draft and the Cavs opted to play it safe and instead take Texas’ Tristan Thompson after taking Duke’s Kyrie Irving with the first pick. Had they known Valanciunas could come over this season, they likely would’ve taken him at No. 4.

[rileymcshea3Participant]

 Yeah Valcanciunas would have been a way better pick for the Cavs and have there C and pg for the future 2 position I think you have to be good at to win a championship

[omphalosParticipant]

If he did this would be huge for the Raptors. They could see if Bargs and Jonas can work together without having to wait another year. IF Valanciunas can show flashes of being that inside presence the Raptors need and Bargs is able to play the PF position like he was supposed to then Andrea might just have a future with this team.

[TallmanNYCParticipant]

 Toronto thinks he will be better coming this season? Well I believe that because that isn’t that smart a team. 

There will be no preseason or preseason practices. He will get tops 15 minutes a game. The games will be compressed in their schedule with many back to back games. So the practices, to the extent there are very many, will be low key affairs as starters attempt to recover for the next back to back games. 

So Valanciunas is going to learn so much basically playing 15 minutes a game with nearly no practiceing? Because that is what this season would be for him. He probably won’t be asked to do anything on offense. So forget about his offensive game getting any better. 

No Valanciunas should stay in Europe. He should do a normal schedule where you play some nights and practice hard on other days. He should have a team looking up to him to lead them on both the offensive end and defensive end. He will learn a lot more than he would just coming to the NBA and spending a year flying from front row seat to front row seat for NBA games. 

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

If Valanciunas comes to the NBA this year, the Raptors will win maybe 10-12 games. If he doesn’t come, they’ll win maybe 10-12 games. Good luck getting a jumpy unskilled center involved with the shot happy Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan, and Jerryd Bayless having no clue how function in a real NBA offense. It is bad enough Ed Davis has to deal with them, and it is likely (if not a certainty) Davis is the better prospect of the two.

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