Jonas Valančiūnas reportedly considering EuroLeague deal after Denver Nuggets trade

The Denver Nuggets recently strengthened their squad significantly by adding depth and height to their frontcourt, acquiring Jonas Valančiūnas from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Dario Šarić.

Valančiūnas is seen by Nuggets management as the perfect addition to play a backup role behind star player Nikola Jokić. The veteran center was serviceable last season, averaging 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game in 81 appearances for both the Kings and the Washington Wizards. That he came off the bench in 21 of those 81 games makes him a great fit for the Nuggets’ rotation.

However, in news that will not be well received by the Nuggets, Valančiūnas is reportedly close to accepting an offer from Greek club Panathinaikos Athens. According to BasketNews, the Greek giants are offering the 33-year-old a three-year deal worth approximately $13 million.

League sources confirm that the lure of a return to Europe holds strong appeal to Jonas Valanciunas … which could lead to him seeking a buyout from his NBA contract to join Panathinaikos as @Urbodo reports.

Would scuttle what seemed like such a promising addition for Denver. https://t.co/U7UAb97t9v

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 3, 2025

As it stands, Valančiūnas is set to earn $10.4 million with the Nuggets under his current contract, which includes a team option for the 2026–27 season worth $10 million—subject to the franchise’s discretion.

NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed the development on the social networking platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating:

“League sources confirm that the lure of a return to Europe holds strong appeal to Jonas Valančiūnas, which could lead to him seeking a buyout from his NBA contract to join Panathinaikos. Would scuttle what seemed like such a promising addition for Denver.”

Selected fifth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors, Valančiūnas has also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards. The Lithuanian big man has played 13 seasons in the NBA, splitting the 2024–25 season between the Wizards and the Kings. During this time, he averaged 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 20.1 minutes over 49 appearances for the Wizards, and 8.7 points and 7.0 rebounds in 16.9 minutes over 32 games for the Kings.

Notably, Valančiūnas has started in 848 of the 937 games he has played in the NBA. He averaged a double-double in each of the four seasons from 2019 to 2023. He boasts career averages of 13.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three-point range.

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