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Jonas Valanciunas gave an update on his future with the Denver Nuggets while speaking to the media during his annual basketball camp. Valanciunas said it will come down to Denver's decision on whether they want to keep him on the roster for next season, adding that everything should become clear around the NBA Draft, which will take place next week. "They have to decide for themselves what direction the team will take and what they want to do. The season was not what we expected because we definitely did not meet expectations. I think they have decisions to make. Everything should become clear around the NBA Draft [June 24-25]. There is not much time left," Valanciunas said.
The Lithuanian national team has revealed its shortened 15-player roster for the July World Cup qualifying window, with three NBA players making the list. The squad includes Matas Buzelis, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kasparas Jakucionis, giving Lithuania a strong NBA presence heading into the summer window. However, one major name is missing from the candidate list. Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis was not included in the 30-man roster.
The Lithuanian is also hoping for that outcome, although he will not force an exit at any cost, but clearly hopes his contract will not be extended. He has already been in talks with European clubs, and may even return to his home country. “Many have paid attention to me, they have contacted me. There were talks with two teams and one Lithuanian club. The conversations are ongoing, and we will make a decision when the time comes because Denver has the final say on my contract. First of all, everything depends on whether they trade me, keep me, or not. That is their decision. Right now I think their bigger question is what they will do with the roster in general, who stays and who leaves. As far as I understand, only Nikola Jokic is untouchable, while everyone else can be traded.” he said on the show “PIKENROLAS”. “I think everything will be clear in the first week of July, maybe even earlier. I want to play, I want to enjoy basketball, and I want to win. I can do everything.
The Lithuanian national team has revealed its preliminary 30-player roster for the July World Cup qualifying window, with three NBA players making the list. The squad includes Matas Buzelis, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kasparas Jakucionis, giving the team strong NBA presence heading into the summer window.
Start with backup center Jonas Valanciunas, who has a non-guaranteed salary of $10 million. The Nuggets have already agreed to guarantee him $2 million of that. But it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that he won’t be in Denver next season. He might not be in the NBA at all.
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14-year NBA veteran center Jonas Valanciunas may return to Europe next season, with his home country team Zalgiris Kaunas among the EuroLeague teams interested in signing him, according to BasketNews sources. Valanciunas, who turns 34 on May 6, still has one year left on his Denver Nuggets contract. However, the franchise holds an option to terminate it in the summer. This could happen either by the Nuggets themselves or if Valanciunas is traded to another NBA team. The Lithuanian center will remain under an NBA contract until July 8, 2026. This date was extended from June 30 ahead of last season, giving Denver the opportunity to trade his contract after the free agency period begins on July 1.
The Lithuanian center will remain under an NBA contract until July 8, 2026. This date was extended from June 30 ahead of last season, giving Denver the opportunity to trade his contract after the free agency period begins on July 1. In exchange for the timing change, a $2 million compensation clause was added. This means Valanciunas would receive this amount if his contract is terminated by July 8. According to BasketNews, several EuroLeague clubs are monitoring the situation, including Zalgiris Kaunas.
After all, he was already sacrificing. A starting center for close to his entire NBA career before this season — 90.5% of his games, to be exact — he took a back seat to three-time MVP Nikola Jokic when he arrived in Denver. He’s averaging 13.2 minutes per game, more than five fewer than his previous career-low. So when he faded out of the rotation entirely in recent weeks? David Adelman believes Valanciunas is well within reason to feel miffed about that as a competitor, as long as it doesn’t become a distraction in the locker room. And it hasn’t, the first-year Nuggets coach vouched this week. “I would say he has been as professional as you can be in this situation,” Adelman said. “And professional in our game means he should be pissed off — and he was — because he wants to play and help the team. Not because it’s about him. … He’s been great on the bench. He’s been great in film sessions. He’s worked out extremely hard. He’s done everything you ask of somebody to do. So I have complete trust in Jonas.”
After logging single-digit minutes in six of the first 10 games of the month, Valanciunas was a DNP-CD (did not play, coach’s decision) for five consecutive games. That streak ended last Sunday when he checked in for six solid minutes against Golden State. Jones had left the game with hamstring tightness. “I will stay ready. What am I gonna say?” Valanciunas told The Denver Post when asked about Denver going a different direction. “Am I pissed off?” He allowed that question to linger for a moment and go unanswered. “As long as we’re winning the game, you know,” the 33-year-old continued. “I’m here if you need me. I’m here. I’m gonna do everything (I usually do). So it’s simple as that.”
As the Nuggets try to finally get him one this spring, what exactly will his role be in the playoffs? Adelman’s message to him, for now, is to stay ready. “We will see,” Valanciunas told The Post. “When they need me, I’m here. I’m working. I’m ready. No question about it, 100% here. And I’m 100% ready.”
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Victor Wembanyama had a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds while collecting the third-fastest double-double since 1997-98, and the San Antonio Spurs won their ninth straight, defeating the Chicago Bulls 129-114 on Monday night. Wembanyama had 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first eight minutes, 31 seconds on the court, collecting his 10th rebound 1:55 into the second quarter. It was the third-fastest double-double in the play-by-play era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, behind only Boban Marjanovic (8:13) in 2017 and Jonas Valanciunas (8:08) in 2025. Wembanyama punctuated his season high with a driving, one-handed dunk for his final points midway through the fourth quarter. He was 17-for-27 from the field and 3-for-6 on 3-pointers in scoring at least 30 points for the 14th time this season.
Bennett Durando: David Adelman, Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas spoke to media today after practice. All three were asked by @TroyRenck if Lu Dort's comments to @JoelXLorenzi acknowledging he went "over the limit" mean anything to them. All three said "no" with no further comment.
KJ Simpson played his first meaningful minutes since joining the team on a two-way contract last week. His fast-break flush late in the third quarter capped an 11-0 Nuggets run and sent them to the fourth with a 77-67 lead, the first double-digit margin of the night. That run carried over with a pair of buckets from backup center Jonas Valanciunas. When Jokic was out of the game, Adelman continued to ride a bench unit with Johnson staggering — not that he had a surplus of other options with Murray, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson all out. “KJ didn’t show up here thinking he was going to play,” Adelman said. “He warmed up, it seemed like, four hours before the game. That’s his warm-up time. So he’s been sitting around here not doing anything. And then Jamal gets sick. He’s out. I felt like it was appropriate to let him play in the first half out of fairness, so gave him a few minutes there. And I personally thought he looked comfortable.”
Jake Fischer: Was in Denver’s pregame locker room tonight at MSG. Every time Jonas Valanciunas walked back in, he’d grunt “Anybody get traded?” The safe guys laughed. And this week is a spectacle. It is wild, though, when you stop and appreciate someone getting ready to go to work truly might have to pack up their life in a matter of minutes.
