Jonas Valanciunas Becomes a Free Agent
Jonas Valanciunas is now a free agent after the Nuggets decided to waive him on Wednesday. This move is quite interesting, especially considering that his $10 million salary for the 2026-27 season was fully guaranteed.
Denver still owes the player $2 million following this decision. However, by signing Marvin Bagley III to a veteran minimum deal, they’ve managed to free up some cap space, keeping their finances in check under the luxury tax threshold for the second time.
Valanciunas had contemplated joining a EuroLeague team after being traded to Denver last summer, but he ultimately chose to stay in the NBA, where he averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds across 65 games. The 34-year-old played roughly 13 minutes per game, shooting an impressive 58.2 percent from the field while filling the backup center role for the Nuggets.
According to various sources, including ESPN’s Shams Charania, several clubs are likely to show interest in Valanciunas, particularly the Knicks. They see him as a potential third choice behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Ian Begley from SNY has reported on this interest.
Interestingly, Valanciunas has a prior connection with Leon Rose, the Knicks’ president, who was his agent before taking on this front office role. There’s even talk—albeit tentative—about a possible return to Europe, with the Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas reportedly interested in him.
In light of these developments, Valanciunas’s next steps could shape his career trajectory significantly. The Knicks are also looking to fill the void left by Mitchell Robinson, who recently inked a three-year, $47.4 million deal with the Celtics after a long stint in New York.
In the recent championship season, Robinson managed to average 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds during his time on the court, which, for a player of his caliber, is somewhat modest—especially compared to his potential.
On a related note, the Knicks have also signed Andre Drummond to a one-year, $3.9 million contract as another option to fill Robinson’s spot. Drummond played 63 games with the 76ers last season, during which he averaged 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds over about 19.5 minutes per game. It’ll be intriguing to see how this all pans out as teams adjust their rosters in pursuit of success.
