The Writing Is on the Wall for Jonas Valanciunas' Nuggets, NBA Future

It's starting to look more and more like Denver Nuggets big man Jonas Valanciunas might not have only just spent his last season in the Mile High this past year, but it also might've marked his last season in the NBA entirely.

That's because he already has an agreement to join a club overseas in Europe, according to recent reports.

Valanciunas Already Has Agreement in Place Overseas

According to BasketNews' Jonas Miklovas and Karolis Tiskevicius, Valanciunas is set to join the Lithuanian club, Zalgiris Kaunas on a two-year deal, which would happen in the event he's released from Nuggets this offseason.

"After 14 years in the NBA, Jonas Valanciunas is set to return to Europe and commit to Zalgiris Kaunas, according to BasketNews sources," Miklovas and Tiskevicius wrote.

"The Lithuanian center has committed to a two-year deal with Zalgiris if he secures a release from his NBA contract with the Denver Nuggets. If the Valanciunas deal materializes, Zalgiris will complete its roster for the season, with no further additions expected, BasketNews sources confirm."

It's not exactly a surefire guarantee that Valanciunas' time with the Nuggets has ended. After all, he's still under contract at the moment, so if Denver did want to keep him around for another season in the States, they have every opportunity to do so.

But all signs seem to be pointing towards that outcome not being the case.

Why Valanciunas' Return to Denver Isn't Likely

Because of the cap crunch that the Nuggets find themselves in this summer in trying to avoid the luxury tax and second apron, while still trying to retain key pieces like Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones, moves around the edges of this roster have to be enacted in order for Denver to do so.

An easy way to make that happen can be done by cutting ties with Valanciunas. He's slated to have a non-guaranteed salary worth $10 million for the 2026-27 season that can free up $8 million for Denver in the event that they release him, and only incur a $2 million cap hit on the books.

It's one of the easiest ways that Denver can shed a good chunk of money on the books this summer when compared to other potential moves they have at their disposal.

Mar 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reacts in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Valanciunas' presence on the Nuggets' roster this season was enough to warrant him as a rotation-level big man, but the benefits in play of the cap relief that could be had in the event of his release tend to outweigh those of keeping him on board for another season.

Valanciunas played 65 games in his one and only season in Denver to average 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 58.2% from the field, all within 13 minutes a night. It's good numbers in limited opportunity, but a backup big man to Jokic tends to be a bit of a luxury piece on this roster, and his next to Jokic wasn't too ideal in the minutes they played this past season.

All of that's to say, don't be shocked if the Nuggets decide to waive Valanciunas here in the coming days. And if he does, it seems like he has a new opportunity waiting for him back in his home country for the next two seasons.

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