Nuggets playing with fire after latest trade to solve Jokic backup problem

That's one way to get burnt
Denver Nuggets v New Orleans Pelicans
Denver Nuggets v New Orleans Pelicans | Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages

The NBA’s moratorium is over, signings and trades are becoming official, and the Nuggets are still refusing to grant Jonas Valanciunas his request for a buyout so he can play in Europe next season. Denver agreed to trade Dario Saric to the Kings in exchange for Valanciunas, but the Lithuanian big man had other ideas.

The 33-year-old NBA veteran hoped to leave the NBA to sign with Greek club Panathanaikos and play in the EuroLeague next season. He was willing to give back every penny of his $10.4 million contract for next season, thinking the Nuggets would agree to “buy him out” and let him move on from the league.

But the Nuggets have been indicating that they have no interest in honoring that request, and Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed as much on Sunday, reporting that the Nuggets have informed JV’s reps that they expect him to honor his contract and play for Denver this season.

Valanciunas would finally solve Nuggets’ backup center nightmare

The backup center position has been an issue for years, and the team has constantly suffered whenever Nikola Jokic is off the court. Trading for Valanciunas was finally supposed to solve that problem and create some breathing room for Jokic to actually rest during the regular season without the team cratering.

For that reason, it makes sense why the Nuggets are so determined to keep JV in Denver. Allowing him to leave would open up the full $14.1 million midlevel exception, but the free agency market is pretty much dry by now, and the chances of landing a legitimate backup center would be thin.

Valanciunas may not be thrilled in Denver

Basketball-wise, what the Nuggets are doing makes perfect sense, but on a human/business level, it’s a bit surprising. Teams aren’t usually willing to play hardball and make a situation so uncomfortable with a player who clearly has no desire to be there.

This could get ugly and lead to a volatile locker room or on-court situation that nobody wants to see. It’s a calculated risk by Denver’s front office, but one that could certainly backfire and derail the chemistry and vibes for a team whose only goal is winning the championship.

That’s what the Nuggets are banking on. JV has been nothing but a professional, and while he clearly wants to play for Panathanaikos next season, he signed a contract and should come around to honoring it. 

Surely he’s not thrilled right now, but delaying his retirement to Europe by one year to make another $10+ million to play a limited role backing up the best player in the league on a championship contender doesn’t exactly sound like torture.