Latest news with #JonasValanciunas
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5 hours ago
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Nuggets Receive Unfortunate Al Horford Update After Jonas Valanciunas News
Nuggets Receive Unfortunate Al Horford Update After Jonas Valanciunas News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Denver Nuggets have had a pretty impressive offseason. Since it began, Denver has acquired Cameron Johnson for Michael Porter Jr., brought back Bruce Brown, and signed Tim Hardaway Jr. They also traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas, but there's been a problem. Advertisement Recent reports have indicated that Valanciunas plans to leave the NBA to play for the Greek basketball team Panathinaikos overseas. For that to happen, Valanciunas would have to get out of his contractual obligation with the Nuggets, which is yet to be seen. If both this sides work out the matter with Valanciunas choosing to give back all of the money he's owed with his NBA contract, that would open up the opportunity to sign Boston Celtics center Al Horford in free agency with the full mid-level exception. Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42).© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Horford makes sense as a backup center for the Nuggets, but his joining the Nuggets is nothing more than a pipe dream. Marc Stein reported that despite what the Nuggets can offer, Horford's signing with the Golden State Warriors is inevitable. Advertisement "While having the full non-taxpayer midlevel would theoretically provide the Nuggets with the financial flexibility to offer a richer Year 1 salary to Boston Celtics free agent Al Horford that Golden State can pitch, I continue to hear that Horford is destined to land in the Bay Area," Stein wrote. "That's despite the fact that the Warriors currently have only the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel to offer him." If Valanciunas leaves to go overseas, and Horford signs with the Warriors, the Nuggets may have to turn to the trade market to get a backup center for Nikola Jokic. Despite the delay, Horford seems bound for Golden State. Related: Nuggets Fans Excited After New Al Horford Report Related: Bill Simmons Reveals Team That Will Sign Veteran Center Al Horford in Free Agency This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
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The move Denver Nuggets still must make in 2025 NBA free agency
The post The move Denver Nuggets still must make in 2025 NBA free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints. Coming off a hard-fought playoff series defeat at the hands of the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets didn't waste much time in improving their roster for the 2025-26 campaign. They kicked off their offseason by trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, and then proceeded to follow that up with the signings of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. — replenishing the team's depth that they sorely missed over the past two seasons. Advertisement But in a stroke of genius from the Nuggets front office, they also managed to trade Dario Saric, someone who fell out of the rotation entirely for most of the 2024-25 season, to the Sacramento Kings to bring Jonas Valanciunas in. Backup center has long been a sore spot for the Nuggets, with the team dropping off whenever Nikola Jokic is on the bench, which meant that Valanciunas' arrival would be a much-needed remedy for something that's been ailing the team for quite some time. Alas, there now is plenty of uncertainty on the Valanciunas front, as the Lithuanian big man is being courted by Greek basketball team Panathinaikos — tempting him to forego the last year of his NBA contract to return to Europe. With that, it's clear what the Nuggets must do to continue hitting it out of the park this offseason. Nuggets must find another backup center, stat Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images It sure looked like the Nuggets were going to get the best backup center they've had for Jokic ever since they lost Mason Plumlee back in 2020, but Valanciunas seems to have other plans. It's not quite clear what has driven Valanciunas to this point, but the Nuggets have to act accordingly and proceed as if they're not going to have the 33-year-old center on the roster for next season. Advertisement It was a borderline miracle that they were able to trade Saric for Valanciunas straight up. But even if Valanciunas goes overseas, it is not the end of the world for the Nuggets. That departure would open up the full midlevel exception for the Nuggets, which means that they will have around $14.1 million of wiggle room to work with should Valanciunas sign with Panathinaikos. Alas, the center market has dried up rather quickly in free agency. Al Horford remains available, but many insiders believe that him signing with the Golden State Warriors is as close to a done deal as it can get. But perhaps there is a way for Horford to be convinced to sign with the Nuggets instead. The best offer the Warriors could give the veteran big man is the full taxpayer midlevel exception, which the Nuggets can easily outbid if Valanciunas leaves. However, the Nuggets cannot afford to wait around, as this is a major area of need that needs urgent attention. The other backup options left on the free-agent market are Chris Boucher, Trey Lyles, and Isaiah Jackson (RFA, coming off a torn Achilles), which, suffice to say, don't come off as inspiring in the slightest. Advertisement Of course, the obvious pathway to any trade for a backup center is by dangling Zeke Nnaji and the remaining $23 or so million left on his contract over the next three seasons. Nnaji, suffice to say, hasn't met expectations in the Mile High City, and he found himself being left off the rotation for the majority of last season — a major black eye considering how thin Denver's roster was last season. But if the Nuggets were able to somehow trade Saric's contract for Valanciunas, then perhaps they could work their magic again. Will the Philadelphia 76ers be interested in receiving a pick swap, giving up Andre Drummond to the Nuggets in exchange for Nnaji? Maybe the Phoenix Suns, a team in dire need of some draft capital, would take on Nnaji's contract for some picks while giving up Nick Richards in the process. Perhaps Brandon Clarke could be available as the Memphis Grizzlies continue to remodel their team around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Or with the Washington Wizards still rebuilding, perhaps they'd decide to take a flier on Nnaji, sending Richaun Holmes and his expiring contract to the Nuggets in exchange. Advertisement Nnaji's contract is arguably one of the worst in the league, value-wise. But that should not stop the Nuggets from aggressively shopping him around to acquire a backup center. Doing so would allow them to kill two birds with one stone, and considering how the early goings of the offseason has gone thus far for the Nuggets, they're certainly capable of pulling off such sorcery. Related: Nuggets bring back intriguing young forward for 2025-26 season Related: Jared Dudley breaks silence on joining Nuggets coaching staff
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
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Calls Mount for Al Horford to Change Decision After Jonas Valanciunas News
Calls Mount for Al Horford to Change Decision After Jonas Valanciunas News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Boston Celtics center Al Horford still remains a free agent days after NBA Free Agency started. While it hasn't been made official, all signs point toward an eventual agreement with the Golden State Warriors. That said, the latest news about Jonas Valanciunas could impact things. Advertisement After the Denver Nuggets acquired Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings, the Lithuanian center has since been coveted by the Greek Professional Basketball team Panathinaikos. According to Marc Stein, Valanciunas now wants to leave the NBA to play overseas. If and when he does this, the Nuggets will have a hole in the backup center spot. Even though Nikola Jokic has won three of the last five MVPs, he will need rest, so Denver will have to find another player who can back him up while he sits on the bench. Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42)Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports The one player who could do that is Horford. For the last two seasons in Boston, Horford has switched between starting and coming off the bench, only doing the latter when Kristaps Porzingis couldn't play. At 39 years old, an even smaller role in Denver could further conserve Horford, as the Celtics have done. Advertisement Stein and Jake Fischer reported late on July 3, "All signs, for the record, continue to point to Al Horford landing with Golden State … eventually." That's why many have pleaded for Horford to change this decision and pick Denver instead. "Just sign Al Horford, and go find a way to get a backup point guard, and the Nuggets are still winning it all," one wrote. "I need Jonas situation to be official so Nuggets can throw that bag at Horford," another wrote. "In my opinion, Al Horford should play on the Nuggets and not with the Warriors or Lakers," another stated. "But that's just one man's opinion." Advertisement "If the Nuggets end up with Horford because of this that's even better…" one responded to the Valanciunas news. If Valanciunas gives all the money back from his current NBA contract to Denver, they would have the full mid-level exception to offer Horford. Related: New Development on Al Horford's Warriors-Lakers Decision Related: LeBron James Sends 1-Word Message After Cavaliers Trade Rumors This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Jonas Valančiūnas considering EuroLeague move: Source
Houston is parting ways with one of its young assets. Meanwhile, the market for the Warriors' restricted free agent is beginning to take shape. Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images My colleague Sam Amick has confirmed via a league source reports that center Jonas Valančiūnas, whom the Sacramento Kings agreed to trade to the Denver Nuggets at the start of free agency, is considering a move to the EuroLeague and an offer to play for Greek club Panathinaikos Athens. Valančiūnas has two years and a little more than $20 million left on his deal. If the agreed-upon trade goes through (Sam says it's still on, per a league source), Denver would have to waive or buy Valančiūnas out of his $10.4 million for 2025-26 for him to exit. I'm sure the Kroenkes are salivating over saving that cash, but the only plausible big-man replacement move would be signing Al Horford. Nobody else is left on the market, and the Nuggets have nothing to put into a trade. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days No surprise on Houston waiving Jock Landale. In the absence of another trade, Houston needs to waive both his non-guaranteed deal and that of Nate Williams to get below the first apron, where the Rockets are currently hard-capped as a result of using their nontaxpayer midlevel exception on Dorian Finney-Smith. Williams has no trigger date on his guarantee, and the Rockets can keep him and stay under the apron if they move the contract of Cam Whitmore. If need be, Houston can also drag its feet on officially re-signing one of Jeff Green or Jae'Sean Tate while it figures out the resolution of that last roster spot. Steph Chambers / Getty Images For Deandre Ayton, who turns 27 at the end of July, the opportunity to re-establish himself couldn't be more clear. While his contract with the Lakers has a second-year player option, no one involved wants him to exercise it — the hope being that he far outplays that $8 million valuation and commands way more next summer. Team sources believe the Lakers have the right coaching staff to make that happen. In JJ Redick, they have a deadly serious head coach who also understands how to relate to players. Assistant Scott Brooks worked with Ayton in Portland two years ago, and Nate McMillan has either played or coached with or against virtually every personality type the NBA's ever concocted. And if not, the Lakers have maintained their flexibility for next summer and beyond. The Lakers weren't going to do better this summer than Deandre Ayton, not with what was on the market, not with the little they had to offer. If you polled 29 other general managers about whether they'd rather trade a first-round pick for Nic Claxton or if they'd rather pay Ayton $8 million, we can be pretty confident in the answer. And if there was hesitation, it wouldn't be because of the stuff on the court. It would be concerns about the culture, the fit, the commitment, the understanding about the required sacrifices that need to be made in order to win at the highest level. Read more of my column on the Ayton signing here. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton fits with LeBron, Luka and the Lakers on the court. Will that be enough? Michael Reaves / Getty Images While things are slow ... I don't think the Knicks' tax apron situation has received enough attention. By adding Guershon Yaubsele via the taxpayer midlevel exception, the Knicks will trigger the second apron. It is going to take some serious limbo to stay beneath it. After agreeing to a minimum deal with Jordan Clarkson, New York has two open roster spots left. At the moment, they cannot sign a veteran to either one. The only players they could fit into those spots are ones they drafted — 2024 second-round Kevin McCullar (for $2,048,914) into one spot, and either 2025 second-rounder Mohamed Diawara, 2023 second-rounder James Nnaji or 2021 second-rounder Rokas Jokubaitis (for $1,272,870) into the other. Any other combination of salaries signed this summer would put the Knicks over the second apron. There are two possibilities to get around this. The most likely one is that Yabusele takes slightly less than the full nontaxpayer midlevel exception. If he takes just $36,641 below that number, the Knicks can put a veteran into McCullar's spot and fill the other with any of the second-rounders besides McCullar. The second possibility is that the Knicks sign non-McCullar second-rounders into both spots, but waive Ariel Hukporti's non-guaranteed deal and put a veteran into his place instead. In the meantime, one can see why New York picked up Hukporti's team option. Right now the difference between his $1.955 million salary and the $2.3 million veteran minimum is the glue holding New York's entire salary cap Jenga structure together. Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images Mike Brown's defining trait comes in his attention to detail. He is notoriously organized. After he picks up his mail at home, he stacks up the envelopes, dividing each into different categories before opening them. His office is always 'immaculate,' said Warriors assistant Bruce Fraser, who overlapped with Brown for six seasons in Golden State. He color codes his plays, often carrying various pens — a red one, a blue one, a black one, etc. — so that he can diagram them as clearly as possible. When he was with the Warriors, he would categorize pens in his locker by their colors. Just to mess with him, other coaches would switch them around, removing a red pen from its intuitive group and place it among the blues. Brown would notice quickly and restore order. Brown is a copious note taker. At any given moment around the team, he could be holding a massive folder that contains all his scribbles. 'It's like his basketball bible,' Fraser said. The coach will notice an interesting tidbit another team has added or think of a play and jot it down without hesitation. Later, just to make Marie Kondo jealous, he will go back and reillustrate his diagram, making sure to create a color-coded version. He expects the same attention to detail from those around him, from the players to the coaches to the rest of the franchise. Read the rest of my feature on the likely new Knicks head coach. GO FURTHER Who might the Knicks get in Mike Brown? Two-time Coach of the Year is still evolving Mike Lawrie / Getty Images We gave up another first-rounder pick to avoid the luxury tax! The fourth one of the Nikola Jokić era! Yay? I get some of the enthusiasm about Denver's secondary moves to fill out the bench. Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas are all massive upgrades on the flotsam that passed for a second unit a year ago. But they traded an extremely valuable asset — a 2032 unprotected first-round pick — in a swap of forwards that turned Michael Porter Jr. into Cam Johnson. You can nitpick small differences in their games, but this was a deal whose sole driving inspiration was avoiding paying the luxury tax again. That's a sad way to operate while the best player who will ever wear a Nuggets uniform is still in his prime. If you don't think this is bad, just consider: What else could the Nuggets have done with that 2032 pick if they had actually been looking at deals to make the team better, rather than just ones that let them tread water while avoiding spending money? Here's the thing, though: Jokić is so good that this team is a legitimate contender; the Nuggets gave the Thunder all they could handle in the second round in May and have some reinforcements this time around. It's just sad to think of how much opportunity has been squandered by the Nuggets constantly using draft picks to dump money. The one time they used future picks to actually build their team, they landed Aaron Gordon. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days Caw-caw! Under new GM Onsi Saleh, the Hawks had a fantastic draft week, acquiring Kristaps Porziņģis in a deal to be finalized soon and then burning the New Orleans Pelicans by getting an unprotected first-round pick in 2026 that could land one of the top picks in a loaded draft. They followed it up with stellar work in the free-agent market. Atlanta used its $25 million trade exception from the Dejounte Murray trade to land Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Minnesota at a price just above the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, essentially squeezing out all their competition, and then added Luke Kennard on a one-year deal. Those two additions fortify what was an extremely shaky shooting and ballhandling situation in the non-Trae Young minutes, and in Alexander-Walker, the Hawks added a second lockdown backcourt defender to go with stopper Dyson Daniels. The Hawks also seem likely to get some small bit of compensation for letting Clint Capela go to Houston in a sign-and-trade. Now, for the fun part: Could Atlanta do more? Capela's outbound salary is enough to offset Alexander-Walker's, which means the Hawks could keep that $25 million trade exception alive for something else. They would have to work quickly since it expires on July 6, the first day deals can be ratified in the new cap year, and they would have to send out some salary to stay below the first-apron threshold (where they're hard-capped due to signing Kennard with the nontaxpayer MLE), but it's something to ponder. In the event things stay less spicy, the Hawks still have back-end work to do on the roster with their $5.1 million biannual exception and veteran's minimums; the Hawks are an estimated $7.4 million below the tax line with at least two open roster spots to fill and could use another small forward and a stretch four. Read on for more free agency winners and losers. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days Jerome Miron / Imagn Jared Dudley, a Dallas Mavericks assistant for the last four years, is headed to Denver to become the Nuggets' lead assistant coach, a league source confirmed. His departure means Jason Kidd's coaching staff in Dallas will look radically different next season. All three of Kidd's top assistants from last season have left in the past five months. In March, Alex Jensen accepted a job as the head men's coach at the University of Utah. In June, Sean Sweeney became the San Antonio Spurs' associated head coach. Now, Dudley leaves Dallas for a promotion. Additionally, God Shammgod is taking a job on Jamahl Mosley's staff with the Orlando Magic. Shammgod began working for the Mavericks in 2016 and has a close relationship with Kyrie Irving. So far, the Mavericks have hired two former head coaches as replacements in Jay Triano and Frank Vogel. Vogel was the head coach of the Lakers' championship-winning team in 2020; Kidd worked under him in L.A. as an assistant. Remember when NBA free agency was an event, something that dragged on for days as players took meetings, teams prepared dog-and-pony shows for prospective free agents and entire front-office staffs huddled up in cramped hotel rooms in The Hamptons? It was only nine years ago that Kevin Durant put the entire league on hold while he figured out his next destination. It was only eight years ago that Gordon Hayward did the same. (I swear to you this really happened.) And it wasn't just the stars who got this treatment; take it from somebody who flew cross-country to make a sales pitch to Solomon Hill. Welcome to the speed chess version of the same game. We're a few days into free agency, and aside from the annual drawn-out saga of restricted free agents, we're basically done. Read on to understand why and to see my early winners and losers. GO FURTHER Winners (Hawks), losers (July) and more from NBA free agency's first days Brad Penner / Imagn After we finished digesting the news of the three terrible Achilles tears of the playoffs, another question emerged: Which teams would rise to fill the void in the battered, miserable Eastern Conference? Going chronologically, injuries to Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton put the immediate fates of the last two conference champions and the team with the conference's best player in doubt. Without those stars, it would be difficult for their teams to compete in 2025-26 and stay financially responsible at the same time. We've seen all three teams grapple with that in June and early July. The offseason is not over, and neither is free agency — the likes of Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga are still out there as restricted free agents, and trades could still develop. In the wake of most of the major action, it seems wise to reassess the status of the conference. Let's get to this before a trade goes down and shakes all of this up. Read on to see how I classified the current state of the East. GO FURTHER Knicks, Magic or Cavs: Which teams are prepared to jump up in the Eastern Conference? There's nothing near the finish line on the Jonathan Kuminga front as the third night of free agency wrapped up, per league sources. There are conversations ongoing with Warriors and several teams on periphery. The Warriors are also waiting on Al Horford's decision. Former No. 1 overall picks from the lottery era to play for the Los Angeles Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal Joe Smith Kwame Brown LeBron James Dwight Howard Andrew Bogut Anthony Davis Deandre Ayton None of them were drafted by the Lakers. Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Deandre Ayton was a surprise addition to this year's free agency class, negotiating a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers on Sunday night and surrendering a reported $10 million of a $34 million deal. Ayton and Luka Dončić are both represented Bill Duffy, the longtime agent who heads WME Basketball. Dončić, according to league sources, is excited about the opportunity to play with Ayton. The Lakers, according to team and league sources, showed serious interest in veteran center Brook Lopez, who agreed to a two-year deal with the LA Clippers on Monday. He was pegged by many around the NBA as the logical player for the Lakers this free agency cycle. Lopez, 37, is still one of the NBA's best inside-outside centers but doesn't play the kind of pick-and-roll, lob-threat style that Dončić has had the most success with in his career. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton, Lakers agree to two-year deal: Sources To add more detail to Kelly Iko's report below about an "expansive sign-and-trade" involving Houston: League sources tell The Athletic that the Rockets and Suns are working on expanding the Kevin Durant trade into a deal that would involve a league-record seven teams. Other teams involved in negotiations at the moment include the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources say. No trade is imminent, and details are being ironed out as of Wednesday night. In a would-be seven-team trade, there is an unprecedented amount of detail. Unfortunately, while a seven-team trade would make for a thrilling topic at a cocktail party, there haven't been many unexpected developments in these negotiations. At least in the iterations of the deal discussed so far, most of the recognizable names are from trades that have already been agreed to and reported but not yet finalized. The Hawks would be sending Clint Capela to the Rockets in what would become a sign-and-trade, league sources say. Durant would go to Houston. The previously reported return for him, including Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, would go to Phoenix. Only five players who were in the NBA last season are being discussed in the current iteration of the trade, as of now: Durant, Brooks, Green, Clint Capela and Daeqwon Plowden, league sources say. The rest of the players being discussed are all from already-agreed-upon draft-night trades that are yet to be finalized and can't be until July 6. For now, the largest trade in NBA history is the six-teamer that sent Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks last summer. Before that, it was the five-teamer in 2021, when the Lakers sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards. GO FURTHER Why the Rockets changed course, fast-tracked their timeline to land Kevin Durant Dennis Schröder will be joining the Kings as part of a sign-and-trade with the Pistons, a team source tells our Sam Amick, and that improves the flexibility for both teams. The Kings willl take Schröder into their existing $16.8 million trade exception for Kevin Huerter and thus maintain their entire $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception for other moves; Sacramento is currently $14.7 million below the first apron, where the Kings would be hard-capped as a result of the sign-and-trade. The Pistons, meanwhile, will either generate a $14.1 million trade exception for Schröder or can take back up to $23 million in a simultaneous trade that would almost certainly involve a third team (or more). As a result of this trade, the Pistons would operate as an over-the-cap team, with Paul Reed taking the team's biannual exception and Caris LeVert taking Detroit's nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Detroit still has $25 million in room below the tax line with three open roster spots, although one may be designated for rookie second-round pick Chaz Lanier. The Pistons are already taking on a bunch of salary in another trade, sending Simone Fontecchio out in a sign-and-trade for Duncan Robinson; it appears that Detroit will start Robinson's salary at the maximum allowable $16,865,384 (twice Fontecchio's salary plus $250,000), and then decline his salary by 5 percent each of the following two years on his three-year, $48 million deal. It also remains possible that Detroit unites these two sign-and-trades into one big, ugly sign-and-trade, although right now it doesn't seem to generate any additional advantages versus keeping the two separate. To further what Eric Nehm and I discussed in our story earlier today: The Bucks, after waiving Chris Livingston, can accommodate a four-year, $107 million contract for Myles Turner, provided Vasilije Micić gives back at least $5.4 million of his $8.1 million salary in a buyout with Milwaukee. If Turner's deal ends up being a sign-and-trade, however, Micić would only need to give back $5.15 million. After an active offseason, the Atlanta Hawks' championship odds have jumped from +25000 to +2500 on BetMGM. Trae Young remains the cornerstone, but the supporting cast looks deeper and much more talented with those three additions. Atlanta's regular starting five figures to be Trae Young, Kristaps Porziņģis, Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels, last year's No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson, who was averaging 18.9 points, 10 rebounds and five assists before missing the second half of last season due to injury. Add Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard to a bench unit in a depleted Eastern Conference, and it's easy to see why Atlanta surged up the odds. GO FURTHER 2026 NBA title odds: How the contenders rank after free agency and trade frenzy Page 2
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jonas Valanciunas trade grades for Nuggets, Kings
The post Jonas Valanciunas trade grades for Nuggets, Kings appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Denver Nuggets entered the 2025 NBA offseason with one goal. MVP runner-up Nikola Jokic was in desperate need of depth in the Western Conference playoffs. After Denver traded for Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, the Nuggets became a team to watch. General manager Ben Tenzer swung a trade with the Sacramento Kings one day later, landing Jonas Valanciunas. Advertisement The move sees Valanciunas and Dario Saric swapping teams, giving Jokic the backup he needs. Throughout his career, the two-time MVP's on-off numbers are some of the worst in league history. Valanciunas is a 13-year veteran who can step in and help keep the Nuggets afloat when their leader rests. The center has two years left on his deal, costing Denver around $20 million in total. Saric, on the other hand, joins Sacramento on an expiring deal. The move opens up cap space for the Kings next summer, allowing them to pursue stars like Mikal Bridges and Trae Young. Valanciunas joins Johnson and Bruce Brown as the newest members of the Nuggets. Upon their arrival, David Adelman can comfortably go nine players deep, 10 if Denver can bring Russell Westbrook back. Here are our grades for the deal on both sides. Advertisement Denver Nuggets: B While this trade fills a need for the Nuggets, a lot of it hinges on Valanciunas' future production. After 12 seasons of averaging more than 10.0 points per game, the veteran struggled in Sacramento down the stretch of the season. While a lot of that could be attributed to playing alongside a nonshooting big in Domantas Sabonis, his production dip is worth noting. He is not the player he once was, but Denver does not need him to be. Valanciunas will have a smaller workload behind Jokic, giving him the opportunity to punish backup centers on the glass. Another plus he brings to the Nuggets is his ability to set screens. At 6'11' and 265 lbs., Valanciunas can set bone-crushing screens to free up shooters. Sacramento Kings: C+ The reason why the Kings made this trade is obvious. At this point, the question is which big-name free agent Sacramento will pursue next summer. Daric's contract will be off the books at that point, but the 2026 NBA free-agent class is not a very deep one. Young and Bridges are two of the bigger names, but both are likely to stay with their team. Advertisement The Kings have stolen free agents from other teams in the past, but none of them were big names. With a team led by Sabonis, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento has one last season to try and figure things out in the Western Conference. Even with all of the money they will have at their disposal next summer, it means nothing if they don't have a plan. Related: Why the Nuggets are massive 2025 NBA free agency winners Related: Tim Hardaway Jr. becomes latest key Nuggets free agency addition
