Denver Nuggets Acquire Jonas Valanciunas To Back Up Nikola Jokic In Trade With Kings

The Denver Nuggets have acquired Jonas Valanciunas to bolster their frontcourt behind Nikola Jokic, sending Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings.

Former Sacramento Kings center Jonas Valanciunas (17) during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Golden 1 Center. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It’s officially NBA offseason chaos—and even with the games on pause following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 championship run, the league is buzzing. One of the loudest teams in the mix? The Denver Nuggets, who are wasting no time retooling their roster to get back to the top of the Western Conference.

After flipping Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for sharpshooter Cameron Johnson, the Nuggets kept their foot on the gas. Now, they’ve made another savvy move to bolster their depth, this time shoring up the frontcourt. Keep in mind that this team forced a seven-game series against the eventual NBA champs and after acquiring Johnson, they’ve brought in another significant upgrade who can take this team to the next level.

The Sacramento Kings are trading Jonas Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets for Dario Saric, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/D2Xmbm4DN1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2025

Let’s be honest: the Nuggets have never had a true backup center worthy of Nikola Jokic’s minutes—or worthy of giving him a break. DeAndre Jordan didn’t cut it. But Valanciunas? He’s a massive upgrade. Not only is he a dependable interior presence who brings toughness, rebounding, and soft touch around the rim, but he also has great chemistry with Jokic off the court, thanks to their strong international ties.

Valanciunas quietly put together a solid 2024–25 campaign, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 boards, and 2.0 assists on 55% shooting. And perhaps most impressively, he suited up for 81 of 82 games—a true ironman in today’s NBA and a godsend for a Nuggets team that values consistency.

As for what Denver gave up? Saric appeared in just 16 games last season and was frequently a DNP-CD even when healthy. While he brings more shooting to the table than Valanciunas, he simply wasn’t in the rotation. That makes this trade a no-brainer win for the Nuggets, who are clearly loading up for another championship run. The message is clear: Denver isn’t standing pat—they’re coming for that second ring in the last four years.

The Kings free up some serious cap space with this move—roughly $5 million this season and double that in 2026—by parting ways with the big man. In return, they land Saric, a stretch forward with a smooth shooting touch who should see an uptick in playing time with Sacramento’s second unit. 

Fantasy Basketball Impact

While the Joker has never had such a dependable backup, don’t expect Valanciunas to cut into Jokic’s minutes—or his fantasy dominance. Jokic remains the undisputed No. 1 option in fantasy basketball, and barring injury, that’s not changing anytime soon. He’s fresh off a historic campaign where he averaged a triple-double: 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. Sure, he doesn’t rack up blocks (just 0.6 per game), but his savvy hands make him a sneaky-good contributor in steals (1.8 per game), a rare stat for big men. Not to mention, he hits threes, shoots above 50% from the field, and 80% from the charity stripe. It doesn’t get much better than that. 

Valanciunas brings much-needed veteran poise, size, and leadership to Denver’s second unit—but from a fantasy perspective, his stock takes a dip. Now coming off the bench, he’ll be more valuable to the Nuggets’ title aspirations than to fantasy managers.

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Still, this was a slam-dunk acquisition for a Denver squad that just got significantly deeper. If they can find a way to replace the spark and production of departing free agent Russell Westbrook, the reigning champs in Oklahoma City—and the rest of the Western Conference—better take notice. The Nuggets are coming.