The Denver Nuggets are moving on from Jonas Valanciunas after just one year. The team waived the 34-year-old center Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, and multiple contenders are expected to come calling once he clears waivers.
Valanciunas signed with Denver before the 2025-26 season to give the frontcourt a reliable veteran backup. He played 65 games, started six, and put up 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 13.4 minutes a night. His shooting was solid inside — 58.2 percent from the field — but from three he managed just 30.8 percent. That range has never been his strength, and in a league that keeps getting faster, it might have been what limited his playoff minutes.
And those minutes really dried up in the postseason. Denver got bounced by a banged-up Minnesota Timberwolves squad in six games during the first round. Valanciunas only appeared in four of those games, averaging 2.8 points and 2.3 boards in 6.3 minutes. Small sample, sure, but the coaching staff clearly felt his game didn’t match up well against Minnesota’s length and speed.
This is a 14-year NBA veteran we’re talking about. Valanciunas has made a career out of being one of the league’s best offensive rebounders and a reliable post scorer. He’s not flashy. He’s not a switch-everything defender. But put him on the floor against a second unit, and he’ll get you 10 points and 8 boards without anyone noticing. That’s a skill set that a lot of playoff teams would find useful, especially the ones that struggle with interior scoring when their starters sit.
What the Waiver Wire Could Look Like
Charania reported that Valanciunas is expected to draw interest from multiple teams. That makes sense. He’s on an expiring deal, so there’s no long-term money to worry about. A team like the Lakers, who always seem to be hunting for another big body, could be a fit. Or maybe a team like the Celtics, who value depth behind their stars and could use a guy who doesn’t need the ball to be effective. You could even see a rebuilding team grabbing him just to flip him later, though at 34, his trade value isn’t what it used to be.
For Denver, waiving Valanciunas opens a roster spot and clears a little cap space. The Nuggets are trying to retool after that disappointing first-round exit. Nikola Jokic is still the best player on the planet, but the supporting cast around him keeps changing. Maybe they go younger. Maybe they find a wing who can actually guard someone on the perimeter. Either way, Valanciunas was a short-term rental that didn’t quite work out.
He’ll land somewhere. Guys with his track record always do. The question is whether he can still be a factor when it matters most — or if those playoff DNPs were a sign that the league has passed him by.
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