As Jonas Valanciunas gears up for a summer of international hoops, the Nuggets aren’t sure exactly when or where they’ll see him in person next. But the one absolute certainty is that he will be with the team when the season tips off.
Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer said Friday that he has “no concerns” about the status of Valanciunas, a sentiment echoed by executive VP of player personnel Jon Wallace.
“We’ve had great conversations with him,” Tenzer said, “and there’s been nothing but healthy conversations in terms of him honoring his contract and him (being) excited to be a Nugget.”
Numerous team officials have spoken with Valanciunas at this point, including front office personnel and head coach David Adelman. The feeling around the team is that Valanciunas has been amicable and cooperative about playing in Denver, despite ongoing speculation regarding his willingness to stay in the NBA after receiving a contract offer from Panathinaikos.
News of the Greek club’s interest in him emerged after the Nuggets acquired Valanciunas in a trade with the Sacramento Kings this month. The Lithuanian big man is under contract in the NBA for at least the 2025-26 season, and Denver has remained steadfast that he’ll be held to that. In order for him to sign with a EuroLeague team, he would first be required to negotiate a release from his NBA contract. The Nuggets traded for him not to buy him out, but to use him as Nikola Jokic’s backup center.
“We’re still working through that right now,” Wallace said Friday when asked about plans to get Valanciunas to Denver.
Complicating matters somewhat is EuroBasket, the European championship tournament beginning in late August. Valanciunas will be competing for Lithuania, where he has already reported for national team training camp. There is a possibility that Denver will have someone in Europe to see him during the tournament. Jokic is also widely expected to compete for Serbia.
However the logistics are sorted out across continents, all signs point to a peaceful outcome to this unusual dilemma — reinforced by Tenzer’s first comments made to independent media about it on Friday.
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With Valanciunas, Cam Johnson, Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. officially joining the team, Denver still has one open roster spot that it can choose whether or not to fill. But when Tenzer was asked if he feels any pressure to address that before training camp in September, he indicated that he might feel comfortable leaving it open.
“I wouldn’t say there’s pressure. We’re going to be patient right now,” Tenzer said. “We feel really good about where the roster’s at. And if we feel like it’s important to add a 15th, we will. But no pressure right now.”
Teams are required to carry at least 14 players during the season, but there are potential benefits to leaving the final spot open. The Nuggets’ payroll is only $400,000 above the luxury tax line. They still have access to a portion of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. If they aren’t in love with any remaining free agents, they can maintain the flexibility to pursue a player on the buyout market in February or March.
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