After being waived by the Denver Nuggets, Jonas Valanciunas has become an NBA free agent.
The veteran center is once again weighing a trip overseas to continue his playing career outside of the NBA or joining a new pro team in the United States.
On Monday, July 13, a report about Valanciunas’ future hit Instagram. An account with over 11,000 followers reported that Jonas Valanciunas reached a deal to join Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas.
Valanciunas was seen in the comments shooting the report down.
Ex-Nuggets 14-Year NBA Veteran Addresses False Report On Future
“You wake up and everything is decided for you,” said the veteran center. “In reality you don’t even need to make decisions yourself😀 thank you, year reporters😀😀😀.”
It’s clear that the former Denver Nuggets center is downplaying the idea that he’s leaving the NBA for the time being.
His future is seemingly undecided as of Monday.
However, don’t rule out Valanciunas going overseas. For the second offseason in a row, the veteran center is getting linked to teams outside of the NBA.
While he didn’t put pen to paper with Zalgiris, he has been linked to the club for quite some time. Being a free agent, Valanciunas is embracing the chance of getting a pitch from all interested suitors.
Jonas Valanciunas’ NBA Career
The 34-year-old center entered the NBA in 2012. He was a first-round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, getting selected by the Toronto Raptors.
After spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Toronto Raptors, Valanciunas joined the Memphis Grizzlies midway through the 2018-2019 NBA season.
Valanciunas would play two full seasons with the Grizzlies. During the 2021 offseason, Valanciunas was moved to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he played for three seasons.
In July 2024, Valanciunas linked with the Washington Wizards on a three-year deal. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings at the 2025 deadline.
Last summer, the Nuggets had Valanciunas weighing a trip to Greece or staying in the NBA. Denver traded for the big man, and Valanciunas ultimately decided to back up Nikola Jokic for the year.
In 65 games with the Nuggets, Valanciunas shot 58.2% from the field, averaging 8.7 points per game. He came down with 5.1 rebounds per game.
In the playoffs, Valanciunas averaged just 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in four games.
Being on a partially guaranteed salary for the final year of his deal, Valanciunas was waived by the Nuggets. Now, his future is up in the air–not decided.