The trade involving the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings – featuring the exchange of big men Jonas Valanciunas and Dario Saric – was officially finalized on Sunday.
Initial reports of the transaction surfaced on July 1, prior to speculation that Valanciunas was drawing interest from European powerhouse Panathinaikos.
This development briefly cast uncertainty over his NBA future.
Now that the trade has been formally confirmed, questions still linger regarding Valanciunas’ status with the Nuggets. As of yet, the team has not provided any new updates.
Previously, Denver made it clear that they expect the big man to fulfill his obligations under his current NBA contract.
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Valanciunas’ deal includes standard language preventing him from signing with another professional team unless a mutual buyout is reached with the Nuggets.
Without such an agreement, the veteran center is not free to leave for overseas opportunities.
Last season, Valanciunas averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, and he is projected to play a supporting role off the bench behind two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Nuggets-Kings Trade Involving Jonas Valanciunas, Dario Saric Made Official; No Updates On Valanciunas https://t.co/uVbNHRNVeD
— RealGM (@RealGM) July 13, 2025
