Overview
- Jonas Valanciunas was waived by the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, and the team will pay a $2 million partial guarantee instead of his full $10 million salary for 2026‑27.
- Because any team that claims him off waivers would have to guarantee the full $10 million, Valanciunas is expected to clear waivers and become an unrestricted free agent with multiple NBA teams showing interest.
- The New York Knicks are repeatedly named among potential NBA suitors, with the club’s leadership having a past relationship with Valanciunas, though the Knicks would likely be limited to a veteran‑minimum style offer under their cap constraints.
- Žalgiris Kaunas has a reported two‑year guaranteed offer waiting in Lithuania that offers more money, a larger role, and the appeal of a homecoming if Valanciunas chooses to leave the NBA.
- The waiver gives Denver immediate roster and payroll flexibility, places about $2 million in dead money with the option to stretch it through late August, and moves the Nuggets further under the second tax apron while opening the roughly $6 million taxpayer mid‑level exception for roster building.