Jonas

Valančiūnas

Jokić missed a triple-double by one rebound against the Spurs on Friday night. The 30-year-old center’s status is up in the air against the Suns on Saturday given his questionable listing. If Jokić is out, Jonas Valanciunas will start for the Nuggets and is worth streaming.

Jokić has been on an absolute tear recently, having scored 90 points over his last two games. This is an injury to his non-dominant wrist, but if he ends up missing this game, Jonas Valanciunas should start, with Zeke Nnaji filling out the reserve minutes.

Valančiūnas logged his most productive line as a member of the Nuggets on Friday. He scored a season high in points and hit his first couple of threes of the season during his 16 minutes of game action. The veteran center has served as a nice depth piece for Denver in his first season with the team. He likely won’t move the needle in fantasy basketball leagues, but could continue to play an important role for the Nuggets throughout the season.

JV was Lithuania’s top scorer and rebounder yet again, and he wraps up Eurobasket 2025 play with averages of 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds across seven appearances. He’ll operate as one of the NBA’s best backup centers behind Nikola Jokic in Denver for the 2025-26 season.

Having already qualified for the Round of 16 at EuroBasket, Lithuania ended group play with a 4-1 record following Wednesday’s victory. Valančiūnas finished the 74-71 victory one rebound shy of a double-double, showing the attributes that made the Nuggets so willing to acquire him from Sacramento to serve as Nikola Jokić’s backup next season. While that role limits Valančiūnas’ fantasy value, it gives him a far better chance of winning his first NBA title than he would have had with the Kings.

Valanciunas has been one of the primary scoring options for Lithuania through their first three games of EuroBasket, but this was the first loss for them after they dominated Great Britain and Montenegro. Valanciunas will continue to play an important role for them moving forward, with their next game coming against Finland on Monday.

Lithuania dominated Montenegro 94-67, so JV didn’t log big minutes, but he was able to make a huge impact in limited court time. Valanciunas’ 19 points led his team, and he surprisingly cashed three triples along the way. Expect him to continue operating as Lithuania’s leading scorer with bigger offensive performances in store for more competitive matchups.

Lithuania kicked off Eurobasket with a convincing win over Great Britain, and Valanciunas, the lone NBA player on either roster, was the leading scorer and rebounder in this game. He’ll continue to be a focal point for Lithuania throughout the tournament before heading to Denver to play behind Nikola Jokic next season.

Needing to upgrade their backup center situation, the Nuggets acquired Valančiūnas from the Kings in exchange for Dario Šarić. However, on Thursday, it was reported by BasketNews that the veteran center was considering a move to Europe to play for Greek power Panathinaikos. Valančiūnas is under contract with the Nuggets, so he would require a buyout to move to Greece. According to Charania, the Nuggets view JV as a key component for next season, so he’ll have to fulfill the requirements of his contract. Playing behind Nikola Jokić limits Valančiūnas’ fantasy value, but he’ll have “real” value to a team that hopes to contend for a championship.

Reportedly acquired from the Kings in exchange for Dario Šarić, it’s reportedly possible that Valančiūnas will not suit up for the Nuggets in 2025-26. According to BasketNews, Greek power Panathinaikos has offered the veteran center a three-year, €12 million contract. Should he remain in the NBA, Valančiūnas will make nearly $10.4 million with the Nuggets, but the final year of his deal (2026-27) is not guaranteed. The Nuggets appeared to have shored up their backup center position with the Valančiūnas trade, but they’ll be forced to return to the drawing board if he decides to return to Europe to continue his career.