Jonas Valanciunas sets record straight: he will play for Nuggets
After initially balking about joining the Denver Nuggets, the 6-foot-11 Valanciunas said this week that he will play for the franchise.
Denver acquired him from the Sacramento Kings earlier this month but the 33-year-old Lithuanian was more interested in playing overseas for Greek team Panathinaikos.
"I want to clear the air about my playing situation next season now that Denver has made their decision to keep me," Valanciunas told BasketNews. "The idea of playing for Panathinaikos, closer to home, was very exciting to me, but that will have to wait. I am fully committed to honoring my contract with the Nuggets this season and will give it my all to compete for a championship."
Valanciunas is entering the second season of a three-year, $30.3 million deal.
The Nuggets acquired Valanciunas to give backup support to center Nikola Jokic, a three-time league MVP. Jokic averaged a career-high 36.7 minutes per game last season, his eighth straight campaign of averaging more than 30 minutes per outing.
Valanciunas has played as a reserve just 89 times in his 937-game career and 60 of them came last season when he split the campaign between the Washington Wizards (49 games) and Kings (32). He averaged 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds while averaging a career-low 18.8 minutes.
Overall, Valanciunas has career averages of 13.1 points and 9.3 rebounds while playing for the Toronto Raptors (2012-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2019-21), New Orleans Pelicans (2021-24), Wizards and Kings. He has a career field-goal percentage of 56%.
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