Nuggets continue dazzling offseason in Jonas Valanciunas trade with Kings
The Denver Nuggets are staying quite active in the NBA trade market. A day after dealing Michael Porter Jr., the team is trading a player once again. Denver is sending Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas, per ESPN.
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The trade comes on the heels of the deal that sent Porter to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson. Saric had averaged just 3.5 points per game this past season in Denver.
Valanciunas spent last year with the Kings, as well as the Washington Wizards. He averaged a little more than 10 points per game, playing at both stops. He shot better than 50 percent from the field.
Nuggets are trying to get back to the NBA Finals
Denver is clearly going to look very different next season. Johnson and Valanciunas join Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and others in trying to take the team back to the NBA Finals. The Nuggets lost this past season in the NBA Playoffs, to eventual champion Oklahoma City.
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Saric had spent just this one season in Denver. He is now headed to his fifth team in the last four seasons. He has played for Oklahoma City, Golden State, Phoenix, Denver, and now Sacramento since 2022.
Valanciunas is another well-traveled player. The Lithuanian big man is headed to his fourth team in the last three years. He played for New Orleans, Washington, Sacramento and now Denver since 2022. Valanciunas is expected to shore up some minutes for the Nuggets, when Jokic will need rest.
The new additions to the team will need to help replace the minutes and production left by Porter. This past season, Porter averaged more than 18 points for Denver. He had several strong performances in the NBA Playoffs, including a 21-point performance against the Thunder in Game 3 of that series.
Johnson averaged more than 18 points a game this past season for the Nets. Brooklyn also received an unprotected 2032 NBA Draft pick with Porter.
Related: NBA news: Damian Lillard's agent breaks silence on stunning Bucks release
Related: Best free-agent destinations for Damian Lillard after Bucks waived him
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