The Nuggets traded Dario Šarić to the Sacramento Kings in return for Valančiūnas on July 1, but NBA insider Marc Stein reported a few days after the deal that the idea of playing in Europe held "strong appeal" for Valančiūnas as he mulled whether to seek a buyout from Denver.

Marc Stein had some thoughts after a recent statement from the Panathinaikos owner on Nuggets' trade target Jonas Valanciunas.

The Denver Nuggets officially traded for veteran center Jonas Valanciunas on July 13, 2025. The trade expelled Dario Saric from their core to the Sacramento Kings. The move was taken to back up Nikola Jokic and finally fix the team’s long-standing depth issue at center.