Nuggets should stand firm against Jonas Valanciunas

Jonas Valanciunas is causing somewhat of a stir. 

The veteran big man was recently traded to the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets sent Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings as part of the deal, giving Sacramento the cap space it needed to acquire Dennis Schroder.

However, since being traded to Denver, reports have surfaced linking Valanciunas with Greek team Panathinaikos. 

According to a Sunday report from Marc Stein, the Nuggets are prepared to stand firm on Valanciunas' commitment to the franchise. The veteran big man has two years remaining on his current $30M deal.

"League sources told The Stein Line on Saturday that the Nuggets, behind the scenes, are signaling to Valanciunas that they do not intend to let him out of his NBA contract," Stein reported.

Later in his report, Stein noted that for any player leaving the NBA for Europe, FIBA requires a Letter of Clearance. That ensures no player under contract with an NBA team can suit up for a roster elsewhere in the world.

"The 33-year-old cannot sign or play for another team in the world if he is under contract to an NBA team. He can't receive the requisite Letter of Clearance that FIBA stipulates unless a buyout with the Nuggets is made official."

Valanciunas is a strong addition to Denver's rotation, anchoring the paint when Nikola Jokic is off the floor. Furthermore, Denver is used to having a hulking big man in the middle of the floor, so its pace of play would suit Valanciunas. 

With very few alternative options available, Denver would be hurting its own chances of success by allowing the veteran out of his current contract. Valanciunas can't expect the Nuggets to derail their plans to appease him. He signed a contract and understands the business aspect of the league. Therefore, he knew he could potentially be traded before the end of his current deal.

If the Nuggets don't honor an offer for him to waive the final two years of his deal, we should expect to see him suiting up in the Mile High City later this year and beyond. Otherwise, things could get incredibly messy between Valanciunas and the Nuggets ownership group, and that's not something anyone wants to see.