Following their second straight Conference Semis exit, the Nuggets knew they needed a roster upgrade to return to title contention. So, that’s what they have been doing this summer, acquiring stars like Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown. But one key addition has seemingly backfired – Jonas Valanciunas!

You see, Denver acquired Valanciunas by pulling off a trade with the Kings, hoping that he would be the perfect backup for Nikola Jokic. With two years and $20.4 million left on his deal, the team’s Center spot looked set, at least for a couple of years. But concerns rose as reports emerged that the Lithuanian star was considering a contract buyout to leave the NBA and play overseas. Turns out, he received a three-year $36 million offer from Greek club Panathinaikos Athens and even visited Greece to discuss the possibility of joining them. Sure enough, this sudden turn of events has put the Nuggets in quite a pickle. And it begs the question – did the Kings know of Valanciunas’ intentions before trading him?

Media veteran Adam Mares does not think so. “I do not believe that the Sacramento Kings knew that he wanted out of his contract because why on Earth would they agree to do that deal?” He remarked, highlighting that the trade was a salary dump move from the Kings’ end. They received Dario Saric in exchange, who is owed only $5.4 million next season. If the Kings knew of Jonas’ intentions beforehand, they could have just negotiated a buyout and saved money that way. “It does not make sense that they would have known this,” Mares remarked.

Maybe it was not a pre-planned move by anyone, but a coincidental opportunity that presented itself at the perfect time for Jonas. Amid this chaos, the big man is busy on his Euro trip.

Jonas Valanciunas in Lithuania amid uncertain future as Nuggets intend to have him honor his contract

While concerns continue to rise about Jonas’ future in Denver, the big man is back in his home country to share his basketball knowledge. Yes, he is a panelist at this year’s B8 Basketball Summit in Lithuania. A thirteen-year NBA veteran, two-time Olympian, and two-time silver medallist at Eurobasket, Jonas will share his experience of performing at the highest level.

Even the European nation is excited to host him, as they wrote in a statement, “The long time NBA player as well as National Team legend will join us for one round table conversation on stage with Paulius Motiejunas and Dainius Adomaitis and share his experiences and view points from a top player’s perspective!”

Once his Europe commitment is over, Valanciunas will likely shift his focus back to the Nuggets situation. Per veteran insider Shams Charania, “Denver has informed Jonas Valanciunas’ reps that the franchise fully intends to have him honor his contract as the Nuggets view Valanciunas as a critical center addition to back up Nikola Jokic and play alongside him.”

So, it will be interesting to see what the Lithuanian star decides to do next because the Nuggets clearly want him on their roster. What are your thoughts?