Denver Waives Veteran Center Jonas Valanciunas
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The Denver Nuggets have released center Jonas Valanciunas, ending the 34-year-old’s stint with the team after one season.
The move was completed ahead of Wednesday’s contract guarantee deadline, allowing Denver to avoid the remaining $8 million on Valanciunas’s $10 million 2024-25 salary. His deal included a $2 million partial guarantee.
Valanciunas appeared in 65 regular-season games as Nikola Jokić’s primary backup, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 58.2 percent from the field. His role diminished in the playoffs; he logged just 25 total minutes during Denver’s first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Denver acquired the veteran last summer from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for forward Dario Šarić, expecting him to solidify the team’s frontcourt depth. With the organization working to stay below the NBA’s second apron, the Nugget front office determined the $10 million cap hit was no longer viable.
The team has until Aug. 29 to decide whether to absorb Valanciunas’s $2 million guarantee this season or stretch that amount over three years, which would reduce the 2024-25 cap charge to roughly $667,000.
Valanciunas now enters free agency as one of the most experienced centers on the market.
Source: Hoops Wire
