A seismic shift is potentially underway that could disrupt a significant NBA trade and send veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas across the Atlantic. Reports indicate that Valanciunas is looking to leave the NBA and is nearing an agreement with Euroleague powerhouse Panathinaikos Athens.
This news throws a major wrench into a pending deal that would send Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets, a trade that cannot be officially finalized until Sunday.
Can Jonas Valanciunas Leave NBA To Play Overseas?
The central question on everyone’s minds: Can Valanciunas simply leave his NBA contract to play overseas? The answer is a resounding no. He has two options: he can be waived upon his arrival in Denver, or he could be bought out. Valanciunas is in the middle of a three-year, $30 million contract and is still owed $20,395,000 on his deal.
Will the trade still be finalized now that Valanciunas is looking to leave the NBA and sign overseas? Well, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Kings-Nuggets trade that is sending Valanciunas to Denver for Dario Saric will go through on Sunday as planned despite this development.
Even though Valanciunas is actively pursuing an overseas opportunity, the trade is still expected to be processed. This would mean Saric, who recently exercised his $5.4 million player option for next season, will still head out to Sacramento.
Another update on Jonas Valanciunas: Discussions are fluid between the veteran center and Denver, sources say, while he’s received a lucrative offer from Panathinaikos in Greece. I’m told, though, that any outcome here won’t impact the trade between Sacramento and Denver.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 3, 2025
NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed that the trade will be completed on Sunday.
However, he added that the Nuggets are trying to “lobby Valanciunas to stay in the NBA once the trade is made official rather than push for a buyout to return to Europe.”
In short …
1. The Sacramento/Denver swap of big men remains on course to go ahead as planned Sunday.
2. The Nuggets continue to lobby Valanciunas to stay in the NBA once the trade is made official rather than push for a buyout to return to Europe. https://t.co/9KTOAQM0W2
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 3, 2025
This brings us to the next-biggest question: What’s next for Valanciunas if he wants to sign abroad? It’s highly unlikely that the Nuggets would simply waive him and absorb the remaining $20 million on his contract. This financial obligation makes a straight waiver improbable.
As Stein mentioned, a buyout would be a more plausible scenario for Valanciunas to pursue his overseas aspirations. In this situation, he would need to negotiate with Denver to give up a substantial portion, if not all, of his remaining salary to be released from his contract. This would allow him to then sign with Panathinaikos.
However, even with a buyout, the Nuggets would have to agree to these terms, and it’s unclear if they would be willing to do so, especially given his value.
Last season, Valanciunas started the campaign with the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Kings. Across 81 games, he averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in just 19 minutes per game.
His potential departure from the NBA would certainly throw a wrench in the Nuggets’ depth chart, as he was expected to play a key role in the frontcourt behind Nikola Jokic.
