Jonas Valanciunas Knicks Signing Seems Unlikely Despite His Release

The Knicks' quest to shore up the center spot took another turn on Wednesday, as the Nuggets reportedly decided to waive Jonas Valančiūnas in favor of cap savings. This now puts a proven veteran talent up for grabs for New York, which is an obvious fit after losing two backups in free agency.

However, looking deeper at a possible Valančiūnas-Knicks pairing, there are several significant obstacles in the way.

Knicks may face a few issues in trying to sign Jonas Valanciunas as he enters free agency

First off, Valančiūnas needs to clear waivers before New York will get a chance to sign him. The team can't afford his $10 million salary for 2026-27, but another squad could.

The center market has been hotter than expected for even small names, so a rival franchise may opt to eat that cost to guarantee landing the big man and keeping him away from others in need like the Knicks.

Then there's the fact Valančiūnas is a major threat to head overseas even if he does clear waivers. International outlet BasketNews.com reported on Wednesday that "Valančiūnas is expected to return to Europe and sign a 2-year deal with the EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas if he clears waivers."

In addition, Basket News notes that Zalgiris "received a positive response" from Valančiūnas when gauging his interest in coming home to Lithuania. At 34 years old now, he may very well prefer to play out the rest of his career where he started and surrounded by familiar faces.

To top things off, there's the NBA competition aspect New York has to contend with even if the center does stick around in the United States.

As mentioned, the market has put a premium on backup big men this summer, meaning Valančiūnas could get a substantial offer even if his $10 million tab isn't picked up off of waivers.