Jonas Valanciunas is staying put. For now, anyway.
The Nuggets center addressed his future recently after it became known that he received serious interest from Panathinaikos last summer, a flirtation that briefly raised eyebrows around the league. Valanciunas acknowledged the interest, called it “exciting,” then made it clear where his focus remains.
“My plan is to be here all season,” Valanciunas told BasketNews. “My plan is to play for Denver. What happened happened. Now I’m here, and I’m proud to represent Denver.”
That matters, especially now. Valanciunas is sidelined at least four weeks with a right calf strain — roughly the same timetable as Nikola Jokic — leaving Denver thin up front at an inconvenient time. The injury didn’t stop Valanciunas from being blunt, though.
“I got injured. Not good, brother,” he said. “Am I happy? No. I’m injured.”
Classic Jonas.
Denver acquired the veteran big man over the summer as a stabilizing backup for Jokic, valuing his size, experience, and interior scoring. Despite limited minutes, Valanciunas has been productive, averaging 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.
Nuggets coach David Adelman praised his reliability and physical presence, noting Valanciunas’ long track record around the league.
The contract picture adds some intrigue. Valanciunas’ final season in 2026-27 is non-guaranteed until July 8, 2026, making his long-term status uncertain. Still, the Nuggets avoided what could have been one of the stranger recent storylines — an NBA rotation center leaving a contender for Europe — and Valanciunas avoided a dramatic pivot himself.
As for playing alongside Jokic after years of battling him?
“He’s one of the greatest ever,” Valanciunas said. “His IQ is tremendous. It’s unbelievable what he does.
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