As the Nuggets’ Jonas Valanciunas saga continues to play out, one thing is becoming clear: if Valanciunas does indeed leave the NBA for the EuroLeague, Denver is in big trouble with their backup center position.
Backing up Nikola Jokic has been an issue in Denver for years, one that it seemed was finally solved with the trade for Valanciunas, but now that’s all hanging in the balance. Shortly after the trade with the Kings was agreed to, reports started coming out that JV wanted to leave the NBA for Europe.
Those reports have been thoroughly substantiated as Jonas has traveled to Athens, Greece, and met with Panathanaikos, the club that he hopes to sign with. But the problem is that Valanciunas is still under contract for $10.4 million this coming season. A contract that the Nuggets are now on the hook for.
The Nuggets are still hoping to convince Valanciunas to stay in the NBA, and ultimately, they can refuse to let him out of his contract, but forcing a malcontent to stay against his will seems like a terrible outcome for a locker room full of guys committed to winning a title.
The alternative is working with Valanciunas to get him where he wants to go and recouping the money they were planning on paying the 33-year-old Lithuanian big man.
Nuggets would open up MLE, but options are limited
Valanciunas is prepared to give back every penny of the $10.4 million he’s owed, which would allow the Nuggets to use the full mid-level exception of $14.1 million. That’s a very solid deal to be able to offer free agents, but the problem is that by now, the free agent market has almost dried up entirely.
There is still some hope of signing Al Horford, which would obviously be an amazing turn of events for Denver, but reports suggest Horford is leaning towards the Warriors or retirement. Beyond Al, the free agent center landscape is a barren wasteland.
The Nuggets know this, and it’s likely why they are so determined to convince Valanciunas to stay and fill the backup center role. Jokic needs a legitimate backup for a number of reasons, and if it’s not going to be JV, then the team needs to pivot.
Other than Horford, there aren’t a lot of clear options who would be rotation players on a contender. The new front office suddenly has its hands full again and will likely need to get creative in the trade market.
Relying on Zeke Nnaji, DaRon Holmes, and another year of someone like DeAndre Jordan simply is not tenable. This trade looked like an absolute steal at the time, but it’s quickly spiraling into a bit of a disaster.