Jonas Valanciunas has officially become a Denver Nugget following the NBA's confirmation of the trade with Sacramento. According to BasketNews sources, there are no signs that the Lithuanian center will be granted an exit to join Panathinaikos for the upcoming season.
Jonas Valanciunas' future is coming into sharper focus following the NBA's official confirmation of the trade between the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings.
2-pointers this season
Denver Nuggets
NBA
Following the trade, Jonas Valanciunas has officially joined the Denver Nuggets. The team’s stance is clear — they intend to keep him on the roster for the 2025–26 season, sources tell BasketNews.
Securing a strong presence behind Nikola Jokic was a major priority, and Denver was highly satisfied with the outcome of the deal with Sacramento.
The Nuggets are standing firm: Valanciunas is under contract for the upcoming season, and the organization has no intention of opening the door for an early exit, even amid strong interest from Panathinaikos Athens.
His contract with Denver includes a fully guaranteed first year (2025–26), followed by a non-guarantee for the 2026–27 season.
Jonas' contract can only be extended next summer, and thus far, there have been no negotiations to guarantee his contract for the 2026-27 season, per BasketNews sources.
Why Valanciunas wanted to leave Denver for Europe
Donatas Urbonas
Donatas Urbonas is an award-winning Lithuanian basketball journalist, recognized as the best sports journalist in Lithuania in 2016 and the top basketball journalist in 2018. A Vilnius University journalism graduate, Urbonas has reported on major global sports events, including the Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 Olympics, FIBA World Cups, EuroBaskets, NBA Summer League, and NBA Draft.
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