The Denver Nuggets have been involved in quite a few rumors early on this offseason, but to this point, they have not made many moves. Perhaps the most important decision the team made saw it release center Jonas Valanciunas, leading to speculation as to what the future would hold for the veteran big man.
Despite expressing a desire to play in Europe, the Nuggets held onto Valanciunas and employed him as Nikola Jokic‘s backup for the 2025-26 campaign. By moving on from him, though, that seemingly paved a path for Valanciunas to go play overseas. After shooting down rumors that he had agreed to a deal to return to Europe, Valanciunas finally appears to have put pen to paper on a contract that will see him return to his native Lithuania.
Jonas Valanciunas Signs with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania
More on BasketNews, including details on his expected salary
Valanciunas was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and he ended up turning himself into a valuable center. While he was never a de facto superstar, Valanciunas is a skilled interior scorer who also can haul in rebounds on both ends of the floor.
After spending the first six-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Raptors, Valanciunas has bounced around the league a bit, playing for five different teams since 2019. With the Nuggets last season, Valanciunas appeared in 65 games, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 58.2% from the field.
There’s no doubt that, even as he prepares to enter his age-34 season, Valanciunas can still play in the NBA, but it always seemed likely that he would return to Europe this offseason, especially after Denver moved on from him. Sure enough, reports have emerged indicating that Valanciunas will sign with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania.
“Jonas Valanciunas leaves the NBA after 14 seasons, officially signing a two-year deal with EuroLeague side Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania,” Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews reported in a post on X.
Nuggets Need to Address Their Frontcourt Before the 2026-27 Campaign
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 6: Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Denver Nuggets reacts to a score in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena on April 6, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
Losing Valanciunas hurts, largely because the Nuggets don’t have much of a center rotation behind Jokic. The front office did sign Marvin Bagley III in free agency, presumably to replace him, but he hasn’t exactly been the pillar of consistency throughout his career. Valanciunas, on the other hand, was known for his consistent play, so that’s quite a change of pace for Denver.
More moves could be coming, as pretty much everyone not named Jokic has seen their name pop up in trade rumors this offseason. Chances are, though, the Nuggets will continue to lay low and build their roster out around Jokic and Jamal Murray. In order to do that, though, more help in the frontcourt is needed, which is why it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Denver look to add another center in the near future.
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