The Nuggets‘ trade to send Dario Saric to the Kings in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas has become official, reports Denver Post’s Bennett Durando (via Twitter).
The trade had been held up as Valanciunas considered an offer from the Greek team Panathinaikos, where there was a significant amount of mutual interest, but Denver made clear that it valued him as a backup center to Nikola Jokic and wanted to keep him on the roster.
Part of the determination on the Nuggets’ is due to the limited options for backup centers on the free agent market, as Al Horford is widely expected to end up with the Warriors, but Denver has also made it clear throughout the trade process that it values what Valanciunas can bring to the bench, after depth has been an issue for the team for the past few seasons.
More to come…