Jonas Valanciunas confirmed interest from multiple EuroLeague teams, said a decision is expected in early July, depending on Denver’s plans for his contract, and made it clear he won’t force a move or announce an NBA retirement.
Denver Nuggets backup center Jonas Valanciunas exited the playoffs in the first round and is now drawing strong interest from EuroLeague clubs.
Jonas Valančiūnas
| MIN: | 12.99 |
| PTS: | 8.38 (63.18%) |
| REB: | 4.9 |
| AS: | 1.14 |
| ST: | 0.2 |
| BL: | 0.55 |
| TO: | 1.13 |
| GM: | 69 |
“I received attention,” Valanciunas said on the PIKENROLAS show on 15min. “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.
“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.”
His situation remains tied to the Colorado club, which holds a $10 million contract option for next season.
“I think everything will be clear in the first week of July, or maybe even earlier,” Valanciunas noted.
Credit Image AP – Scanpix
If the Nuggets decide to waive him before July 8, the Lithuanian center would be owed $2 million in compensation.
“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.”
The Lithuanian national team captain also ruled out the idea of forcing a move or retiring from the NBA to return to Europe.
“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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, his hometown EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas has reportedly made a strong offer, proposing a guaranteed two-year deal worth at least €2 million per season.
Credit Fotodiena.lt
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.
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.
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.
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.
Before his NBA career, Valanciunas played three seasons in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) with Perlas Vilnius and Rytas Vilnius.
Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.
