Jonas Valanciunas and the Nuggets recently agreed to restructure the third and final year of his contract, league sources told The Denver Post.
Valanciunas will be paid at least $2 million of his $10 million non-guaranteed salary next season, in exchange for his 2026 guarantee date being pushed back from June 29 to July 8.
The contract amendment, which was first reported by The Stein Line, provides Denver more flexibility to survey the free-agent market and examine potential trade options involving Valanciunas before the deadline to release him or guarantee his full salary, league sources said. Free agency begins on June 30, marking the start of the 2026-27 league year.
Valanciunas, 33, has been traded twice already over the duration of a three-year, $30 million contract that he signed with the Wizards in 2024. Washington shipped the Lithuanian big man to Sacramento at the in-season trade deadline in February, then the Nuggets acquired him from the Kings in an offseason swap for Dario Saric. That trade was made possible by a separate deal that saw Denver send Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson. The Nuggets looked at it as one big transaction, turning one rotation player into two.
Valanciunas was offered a three-year contract by the Greek club Panathinaikos around the same time Denver traded for him, but returning to Europe would’ve required the Nuggets to release him from his NBA contract, which they weren’t willing to do. On several occasions since then, Valanciunas has said publicly that he’s committed to his role in Denver as he pursues what would be the first NBA title of his career. His salary this season is $10.4 million.
Nuggets ownership could feel more incentivized to release him next offseason, however, when his $10 million cap hit would put the roster payroll up against the second tax apron. The inclination to avoid that threshold already impacted Denver’s decision not to sign a rookie contract extension with Peyton Watson last month. Substantial raises will go into effect for Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun in 2026-27, potentially having ripple effects on the team’s depth depending on its willingness to spend and deal with the tax and the roster-building ramifications attached to it.
If the Nuggets waive Valanciunas next July — or if they trade him to another team that does — he could hypothetically leave the NBA for a similar opportunity overseas and still take home at least $2 million. He’s also eligible to sign an extension with Denver after this season.
Trading a non-guaranteed contract can be challenging under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement because only the guaranteed portion of the player’s salary counts as outgoing salary for money-matching purposes. But the delayed guarantee date gives the Nuggets time and flexibility to figure out if there’s a feasible transaction after the free-agency cycle plays out for them and other teams.
If they ultimately release him without trading him, they’ll be on the hook for $2 million in dead cap money. If he remains under contract at the July 8 deadline, his salary becomes fully guaranteed.
In the meantime, Valanciunas is averaging 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes per game. A starter for most of his 14-year NBA career, he’s provided relative stability as Nikola Jokic’s backup center. The Nuggets have broken even or won Valanciunas’s minutes in three of their first seven games.
“Jonas’ attitude so far has been absolutely everything you could ask for,” coach David Adelman said. “He plays 10 minutes, he’s great. He’s great on the bench, in timeouts. He’s been great on the plane, on the bus. The guy just has such a cool attitude about him. To see a guy that’s started in the NBA for 10 years come here and just want to be part of this is pretty cool.”
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