\t\tJonas Valan\u010di\u016bnas<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\tMIN: \t\t\t\t\tPTS: \t\t\t\t\t\tREB: \t\t\t\t\t\tAS: \t\t\t\t\t\tST: \t\t\t\t\t\tBL: \t\t\t\t\t\tTO: \t\t\t\t\tGM: “I received attention,” Valanciunas said on the PIKENROLAS show on 15min<\/a>. “Yes, there were talks with one team, another team, and the Lithuanian club. There are discussions, and we are deciding. But the final word belongs to Denver.<\/p>\n “First of all, it depends on whether they trade me, keep me, or not,” he added. “That’s their decision. Right now, I think the bigger question for them is what they will do with the roster overall: who stays and who goes. As I understand it, only Nikola [Jokic] is untouchable, and everyone else can be moved.”<\/p>\n His situation remains tied to the Colorado club, which holds a $10 million contract option for next season.<\/p>\n “I think everything will be clear in the first week of July, or maybe even earlier,” Valanciunas noted.<\/p>\n Credit Image AP \u2013 Scanpix<\/p>\n If the Nuggets decide to waive him before July 8, the Lithuanian center would be owed $2 million in compensation.<\/p>\n “I want to play, I want to enjoy the game, and I want to win. I can do anything. My heart is in basketball, not in a specific city or team. We’ll see what situation gives me the best chance to win,” he said. “I need to win. I want to win. I want to reach the podium somewhere, so I want to put myself in the best position for that.”<\/p>\n The Lithuanian national team captain also ruled out the idea of forcing a move or retiring from the NBA to return to Europe.<\/p>\n “I’m not the kind of player who would go and get angry with everyone,” he said. “I only get upset if there’s a reason, and right now there isn’t one. I wasn’t disrespected, and the team hasn’t done anything wrong, so I can’t just refuse to show up.<\/p>\n “There is respect for the team I represent, so I won’t do that. I signed the contract myself, so I have to fulfill it.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, his hometown EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas has reportedly made a strong offer<\/a>, proposing a guaranteed two-year deal worth at least \u20ac2 million per season.<\/p>\n Credit Fotodiena.lt<\/p>\n Valanciunas had already considered a return to Europe last year and was close to joining Panathinaikos Athens. He even traveled to Greece for a medical, but the move collapsed after Denver acquired him in a trade and decided to keep him for the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n His current NBA contract runs until July 8, 2026. The deadline was previously moved from June 30, giving Denver more flexibility around free agency, which starts July 1.<\/p>\n Despite a reduced role this NBA season, Valanciunas remained a reliable frontcourt contributor, playing 65 regular-season games and averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes per game while shooting 58.2% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range.<\/p>\n He also reached a major milestone by appearing in his 1,000th NBA game, becoming one of only 164 players in league history to do so.<\/p>\n Before his NBA career, Valanciunas played three seasons in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) with Perlas Vilnius and Rytas Vilnius.<\/p>\n![\"Jonas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/image-126312-any150x150.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t![\"Jonas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-436620-crop100x150.jpg\")
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t12.99<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t8.38 (63.18%)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t4.9<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t1.14<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t0.2<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t0.55<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t1.13<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t69<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-469004-any718x552.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bn-plus.png\")
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