Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Expected to play Tuesday

Valanciunas is expected to play under 20 minutes during Tuesday's preseason opener against the Magic, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Willie Green said all of the Pelicans' starters are expected to suit up and play under 20 minutes, so it should be a good opportunity for the first unit to develop some chemistry before the regular season. Valanciunas has averaged a double-double in four consecutive campaigns with two different teams (Memphis and New Orleans). The veteran big man might see a slight dropoff in production if Zion Williamson can stay healthy for an entire season, though Valanciunas should still play a key role as the team's starting center in 2023-24.