Nuggets Commit to Keeping Valanciunas Amid Greek Offers and Trade Talks

According to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Denver Nuggets are moving forward with their trade for Jonas Valanciunas and remain committed to retaining the experienced center, even as the Lithuanian player heads to Athens amidst ongoing negotiations with Panathinaikos.

Valanciunas has received an offer from the prominent Greek EuroLeague team, but for the transfer to Panathinaikos to be finalized, Denver would need to waive him first.

This situation gives the Nuggets considerable leverage in the negotiations, allowing them to influence the player’s future, who is seriously contemplating making the switch to Greece.

This leverage could play a crucial role in discussions regarding a potential buyout, which would further free up salary cap space for the Nuggets.

While this serves as a significant incentive for Denver to allow Valanciunas to depart, it’s worth noting that there are currently no superior options available in free agency for the Nuggets to bring in as a backup to Nikola Jokic.

A similar scenario unfolded last summer when Sasha Vezenkov chose to give up his NBA contract to return to another prominent Greek team, Olympiacos.