Nuggets facing issue in otherwise successful offseason

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Nuggets have had a pretty eventful and successful offseason so far. Big trades freed up enough cap space to sign some pivotal free agents, while also bringing in players that may bring more balance to the team.

Everything was going smoothly, and then a snag in the line hit.

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Newly acquired player Jonas Valančiūnas was brought to Denver in a trade with the Sacramento Kings. Valančiūnas is a productive center that the team and fans are looking forward to seeing pick up the non-Nikola Jokić minutes, an issue that plagued the team last season.

A near-nightly double-double for his career, Valančiūnas offers any team a hub to run its offense through, which includes a team in Greece that sought to bring Valančiūnas into its ranks this offseason.

Greek team Panathinaikos offered him a three-year contract worth nearly $13 million. However, Valančiūnas is under contract with the Nuggets through the 2026-27 NBA season, with a guaranteed salary of $10.4 million in 2025-26 and a team option for $10 million in 2026-27.

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Valančiūnas reportedly showed a mutual interest in joining Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets fully expect the center to honor his contract with their franchise, according to reports from ESPN.

The trade is expected to be finalized at the end of the week, according to Bleacher Report, so although unlikely, anything can happen.

There have been no reports as of now, but a contract buyout would allow Valančiūnas to leave, but the Nuggets have been stern, stating the contract will be upheld.

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Nuggets facing issue in otherwise successful offseason

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