Top 5 European-born players in Toronto Raptors franchise history

1. Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania)

Valanciunas was a bit of an unknown when the Raptors used the No. 5 overall pick in 2011 on the Lithuanian giant. Even after waiting a year and putting up with some growing pains as he adjusted to life in the NBA, Toronto eventually turned Valanciunas into a hard-nosed paint presence.

Valanciunas, who was traded to the Grizzlies for Marc Gasol during the championship run, put up per game averages of 11.8 points and 8.4 rebounds during his seven-season stint. He was an integral starter on Dwane Casey’s best Raptors teams who took ownership of the restricted area.

Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas had a solid career.

Valanciunas is currently playing the best basketball of his career. After averaging a double-double in Memphis, Valanciunas was able to average 17.8 points and 11.5 boards for a playoff-bound Pelicans team. The skills we saw in Toronto are on full display.

As is the case with DeMar DeRozan, it’s a shame that Valanciunas had to be sent away before he could enjoy basking in the glow of a championship. However, the history books will be very kind to him after a productive Toronto Raptors career that placed him high on several all-time lists.