The Denver Nuggets have waived veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, making him a free agent available to sign with other teams. The move comes despite Valanciunas having a fully guaranteed $10 million salary for the 2026-27 season. Denver will still owe him $2 million, but the team will save cap space.
Valanciunas, 34, averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 65 games for the Nuggets last season, playing an average of 13 minutes per night and shooting 58.2 percent from the field. He had initially considered a return to the EuroLeague in the summer after being traded to Denver but remained in the NBA.
The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in acquiring Valanciunas. According to SNY, the Knicks view him as a potential third center option behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. This interest is further fueled by Valanciunas' past relationship with Knicks president Leon Rose, who previously served as his agent.
Valanciunas could potentially fill a void left by Mitchell Robinson, who recently signed a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics. Robinson, a seven-footer, averaged 4.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game during the Knicks' championship run this past season.
The Knicks have already added Andre Drummond on a one-year, $3.9 million deal to bolster their center position. Drummond played in 63 games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season, recording 6.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in 19.5 minutes.
Despite his NBA future, a return to Europe is also a possibility for Valanciunas, with Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas reportedly showing interest.