Valanciunas’ return to lineup likely pegged for Hawks game

The Toronto Raptors are poised to add a much-needed veteran right after Thursday’s NBA trade deadline at no cost to the current roster.

Jonas Valanciunas, who has been out for more than a quarter of the regular season, is expected to play on the three-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Philadelphia and sources with intimate knowledge of the situation say Thursday’s game in Atlanta is the likely date. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about it.