Two days removed from being traded to the Denver Nuggets, center Jonas Valanciunas is close to making a move overseas with the Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos Athens.
According to BasketNews, Valanciunas is considering making the move to play for the Greek club, potentially ending his 13-year NBA tenure.
The 33-year-old Lithuanian, who recently finished a season with the Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings playing in only 32 games, was traded to the Nuggets on Tuesday for Dario Saric. Expected to earn $10.4 million through the 2025-26 season, Denver holds a team option for the 2026-27 season at $10 million.
BasketNews reported that its sources indicated Panathinaikos had offered Valanciunas a three-year deal worth €12 million, which is $14 million USD.
Having established a career earnings of over $145 million in the NBA, Valanciunas has played in 937 games with the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings. His career statistics include averaging 13.1 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists. He has shot a career 56% from the field.
Valanciunas, after being traded to Denver, is looking to play a vital role off the bench behind 3x NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, a position Denver has been seeking for years, should he decide to stay in the NBA.
The move for the Lithuanian big man comes on the heels of a week that saw the Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson and bring back Bruce Brown on a one-year deal from the 2023 NBA Finals-winning team.
The Pulse 
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