Nuggets Believe Jonas Valanciunas Will Remain With Team

It apopears Jonas Valanciunas may not bolt the Denver Nuggets, after all.

Per Altitude TV sideline reporter Vic Lombardi, Valanciunas will avoid heading to Greece despite a massive offer from Panathinaikos. The Nuggets acquired Valanciunas in a trade with the Sacramento Kings for Dario Saric. 

“The Nuggets believe (Valanciunas) will play here and time will heal,” Lombardi said on Altitude SR 92.5’s show, via Eurohoops.

Valanciunas would be an ideal backup center behind All-Star Nikola Jokic, which is why the Nuggets made the deal in the first place. Their goal was to greatly improve the bench and the trade, at least on paper, is one reason they’ve been able to do so.

Valanciunas addressed the rumors of potentially leaving the Nuggets for Greece — but didn’t really say a whole lot when it camer to his thinking.

“When the trade is finalized, we’ll come up with a plan. [The Nuggets] will express their wishes, how they think, how they see it … medical, other details. That will depend on the team,” he said on 15min.it.

““Once the trade is finalized, we’ll put together the plan for the trip to Denver. The team will outline how they see the situation, medicals, and all the details. That part is up to the them.”

In other words, Valanciunas isn’t really saying a whole lot.

But one report suggested the Nuggets don’t intend to let Valanciunas out of his contract.

Valanciunas played for the Washington Wizards and Kings last season, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 55.0% from the field, 21.6% from beyond the arc and 87.9% from the free-throw line. 

Valanciunas has appeared in 937 NBA games with the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Wizards and Kings. He has career averages of 13.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists. 

“One league source said Saturday that it was still too soon to say definitively how this saga will play out but acknowledged that the prospect of Valanciunas having to stay with the Nuggets in the end was very much still on the table,” wrote Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.