Euroleague Rumors: Jonas Valančiūnas rumored to be the successor to a new Barcelona signing

The future of Jonas Valanciunas in the NBA is once again in doubt just a year after his arrival at the Denver Nuggets. The Lithuanian center was close to leaving the league last summer, and now rumors of a possible return to Europe have resurfaced. When Denver signed him last summer, there was surprising information suggesting that Valanciunas was considering giving up the last two years of his contract to go back to European basketball.

Ultimately, the player chose to honor his agreement and play the 2025-26 season with the Nuggets. However, his performance fell below expectations. At 33 —now 34—, he posted the worst numbers of his career in nearly all statistical categories and failed to become the impactful bench player that Denver had hoped for.

All signs point to Valanciunas being one of the most likely players to leave the franchise this summer. The Nuggets have an option to terminate his contract and avoid paying him the $10 million due for the upcoming season, a possibility that seems more likely after his underwhelming campaign.

Zalgiris Kaunas Enters the Scene

Meanwhile, several European teams have already started to show interest in his situation. According to BasketNews, Zalgiris Kaunas is among the EuroLeague clubs trying to convince the player to return to Lithuania. The Lithuanian team is looking to strengthen their frontcourt after the departure of Moses Wright, an American center who played a few NBA games years ago and will join FC Barcelona next season.

This wouldn't be the first time Valanciunas has been close to leaving the NBA recently. Last summer, he was in serious talks to move to the EuroLeague and even traveled to Greece for a medical check-up with Panathinaikos Athens. Yet he chose to stay in Denver, but now the scenario is reopening.

Valanciunas ended the season with averages of 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 13 minutes per game. These numbers were far from his previous averages of over 13 points and 9 rebounds per game during his 13 prior seasons in the NBA. With Denver considering his departure and various European teams monitoring his situation, the veteran center's future seems increasingly tied to a possible return to European basketball.