{"id":777396,"date":"2026-07-03T21:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T21:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/777396\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T21:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T21:00:14","slug":"eastern-notes-jakucionis-knicks-valanciunas-landale-oubre-raptors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/777396\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Notes: Jakucionis, Knicks, Valanciunas, Landale, Oubre, Raptors"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> trade<\/a> between Milwaukee and Miami can\u2019t be formally completed until Monday, so Kasparas Jakucionis<\/a> isn\u2019t officially a member of the Bucks yet. However, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com<\/a>, new Bucks head coach Taylor Jenkins and assistant general manager Milt Newton are expected to travel to Bologna, Italy this weekend to visit with the second-year guard.<\/p>\n

Jakucionis is playing for the Lithuanian national team during July\u2019s qualifying window for the 2027 World Cup and will be facing Italy on Sunday in the second of those qualifying matchups. The 2025 first-round pick had an impressive showing in Lithuania\u2019s victory over Great Britain on Thursday, racking up 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 28 minutes of action.<\/p>\n

Jackucionis was reported to be a key piece<\/a> in the package for Antetokounmpo, with his inclusion helping to push Miami\u2019s offer over the top.<\/p>\n

We have more from around the Eastern Conference:<\/p>\n

Add Jonas Valanciunas<\/a> to the list of centers on the Knicks\u2018 radar, says James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link<\/a>). Valancinuas is under contract with Denver, but the Nuggets have to decide by next Wednesday whether to guarantee the remaining $8MM on his $10MM contract are are extremely unlikely to do so. Valanciunas is also said to be<\/a> a potential target for the Lakers, who may be vying with New York for some of the same veterans on the backup center market.
\nAfter agreeing to a one-year deal<\/a> with the Hawks that will pay him the highest single-season salary of his NBA career ($14MM), Jock Landale<\/a> said in an Instagram post<\/a> that he was considering moving on from the NBA and playing overseas at this time last year after being waived by Houston. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like being a rotation player all year round in the NBA was something I was going to be able to achieve,\u201d said Landale, who had a career year with the Grizzlies and Hawks after playing sparingly during his final season in Houston. \u201cI was tired of not being able to compete and do what I love to do on the main stage. I\u2019m extremely grateful to all those who convinced me otherwise and helped me stick out this dream.\u201d
\nTony East of Circle City Spin<\/a> examines what new addition<\/a> Kelly Oubre Jr.<\/a> will bring to the Pacers, writing that adding a wing with \u201cfunctional size\u201d to the second unit should be a win for the team.
\nBlake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca<\/a> takes a deep dive into what the Raptors\u2018 salary cap situation will look like once the Kawhi Leonard<\/a> trade is official, noting that the star forward\u2019s decision on his sizable trade bonus \u2013 he could amend it or waive it entirely \u2013 will go a long way toward determining how much flexibility the team has to fill out the rest of its roster below a probable first-apron hard cap.<\/p>\n

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