Nuggets GM: Jonas Valanciunas Excited To Play For Denver

Denver Nuggets executive VP of basketball operations Ben Tenzer said Friday the team expects newly acquired center Jonas Valanciunas to be in training camp this fall, despite all the noise linking him to Greek club Panathinaikos.

“We’ve had great conversations with him,” Tenzer told reporters, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. “There’s been nothing but healthy conversations in terms of him honoring his contract and him excited to be a Nugget.”

The Nuggets acquired Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings in early July in exchange for Dario Saric. Just days after the deal, reports surfaced that Valanciunas was considering a three-year offer from Panathinaikos, prompting questions about whether he would remain in the NBA.

Denver never wavered. The Nuggets instead made it clear they had no intention of letting Valanciunas out of his contract, even if he was willing to give up his entire $10.4 million salary. The 32-year-old Lithuanian has long been on Denver’s radar and is viewed as a strong fit behind star center Nikola Jokic.

With the trade now official, Nuggets coach David Adelman has discussed how Valanciunas will be used this season, and Tenzer confirmed there are no plans for a buyout.

Valanciunas has yet to speak publicly about his plans beyond your typical run-of-the-mill stuff. His contract includes a non-guaranteed $10 million for 2026–27.

For now, again, the expectation is that he’ll be in Denver when camp opens in the fall.