Scoring 24 points and 15 rebounds, a god-level deal, I have made a contribution to the teacher, the Nuggets are about to take off

The quarter-finals of the men's basketball European Cup came to an end. Lithuania lost to Greece 76-87 and unfortunately stopped in the quarterfinals. Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas performed well, playing 32 minutes in the game, making 9 of 16 shots, 6 of 7 free throws, scoring 24 points, 15 rebounds and 1 assist, but it could not stop the team from losing.

With Lithuania out, Valan's European Cup trip officially ended. Next he will return to Denver to meet with the Nuggets to prepare for the 2025-26 NBA game. The 32-year-old veteran has been in touch with the team's core Nikola Jokic, and the two even talked about horse racing.

Looking back on this offseason, the Nuggets made important decisions on lineup adjustments. The team gave up renewing Jordan Jr. and got Valancius by trading with other teams in Salic in a 1-for-1 way.

Born on May 6, 1992, Valanciunas has always had the idea of ​​returning to Europe to play. In July this year, he arrived in Greece with his agent to meet with the giant team Panasinakos to prepare to join the Greek league.

However, the Nuggets have a tough attitude towards this and firmly refuse to release them. Because as long as Valanciunas has a contract in the NBA, the FIBA ​​will not issue him a clarification letter, which also prevents Panasinakos from signing him smoothly. Over the past year or so, Valanciunas's career has been full of changes, and he has been in four teams.

As many European players grow older, they are eager to return to their hometowns to play so that they can be closer to their families, and Valanciunas is no exception. At the critical moment, Nuggets core Nikola Jokic came forward in person to persuade Valan to stay with the team.

Jokic's intervention played an important role. In the end, the Nuggets changed Valan's $10 million contract in the 2026-27 season from insecurity to full guarantee, demonstrating his importance and commitment.

Valan has two years and $20.4 million left in his contract. He will continue to serve as Jokic's substitute in the new season, providing depth and support to the Nuggets' inside. In the past year or so, Valanciunas has changed four teams and has experienced considerable turmoil. Such frequent transfers are challenging for any player, especially for a veteran.

Last season, Valan played 81 regular season games, averaged 18.8 minutes per game, scored 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists, shooting percentage of 55% from the field and shooting percentage of 87.9%.

Although his three-point shooting percentage is only 21.6%, Valan's traditional center skills are still solid. He is 2.11 meters tall, has a wingspan of 2.29 meters, and weighs 125 kg. He is a typical heavy center.

Obtaining Valanciunas is an important reinforcement for the Nuggets. The team gave up the contract renewal of DeAndre Jordan and used Dario Salic to trade 1 for 1 to get Valan. Valan will provide a reliable backup option for the Nuggets inside, able to stabilize the situation while Jokic is resting. His rebounding ability and low post offense are the skills the Nuggets need.

Although the competition in the West is fierce, the Nuggets, which have Jokic, Jamal Murray and Valan, are still a competitive team. Valan's addition strengthened the team's depth and provided more options for the long season.