The Kings have agreed to trade center Jonas Valanciunas to the Nuggets in exchange for forward/center Dario Saric, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Valanciunas will earn about $10.4MM in 2025/26, with a non-guaranteed $10MM salary for ’26/27. Saric is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him approximately $5.4MM next season.
The Nuggets are able to take on Valanciunas’ higher salary due to the newfound roster-building flexibility they created as a result of the agreed upon trade that will send Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick to Brooklyn for Cameron Johnson.
Valanciunas spent his first six-plus NBA seasons with Toronto, the team that selected him No. 5 overall in the 2011 draft. He also played for Memphis and New Orleans prior to becoming a free agent last year.
The 33-year-old landed with the Wizards via sign-and-trade last summer, then was traded to Sacramento in February. The durable big man made 81 combined appearances last season, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 18.8 minutes per contest.
While he’s a very limited defensive player, Valanciunas is a bruising low-post scorer and rebounder with a soft touch and should be a productive backup for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
As for the Kings, they were likely motivated to make the deal for financial reasons. As Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron tweets, Sacramento will save about $5MM in the trade, which will give the team the flexibility to complete its reported deal with veteran guard Dennis Schröder without going into the tax.
Saric signed a two-year, $10.6MM deal with Denver last summer, but it didn’t work out the way either party had hoped. The 31-year-old only played in 16 games last season, averaging 3.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 13.1 MPG.
Saric could fit better in Sacramento while Valanciunas is a great backup for Joker
Saric is washed dude, He couldnt even get minutes over Deandre Jordan for the Nuggets
Lakers still unable to acquire jonas
cutting payroll means they are signing somebody.
Reduce Jokic minutes and get a quality veteran backup. This is a solid move. I love what the Denver Nuggets are accomplishing thus far. I think they need another ball handler off the bench and possibly an athletic wing bench guy, but that’s really it.
A+ so far by this front office. Jokic must be pleased.
Jokic needs more rest. Against athletic and fast teams he gets tired real fast.
The Kings could have had Hauser i real shooter. I Hope Saric proves me wrong but I don’t get the Kings.
Hard to follow what they’re doing.
DEN still needs a veteran backup PG, one that can play some with Murray. With that, they could have a very good bench (vs having very shallow one last season).
Dinwiddie would be a good addition. Not sure how much he is looking for or how much DEN has left
I feel so bad for the center that has to bang in the paint with Joker to then have to do the same with Jonas right after. These two can also cause some big (pun intended) problems if you play Jonas at the 5 and Joker at the 4.
Saric scored 55 total points last year, what are the Kings cooking?
Nothing more than a salary dump to save money.
After trading Fox. I don’t think they are expecting to compete this upcoming season.
Kings not competing ig. To not even get a pick in this swap is dumb on their part.
Jokic gets more rest. Good move for Kings.
Another nice move by the Nuggets. Jokic is always gassed about time the playoffs start. Getting him more rest should be one of their biggest priorities.
Now they just need a veteran backup point guard that can run the offense.
I wouldn’t even mind them going after Marcus Smart but his 21 million salary probably makes that impossible.
Nuggets making moves.
Yup,Nuggets done for the next 10 years
He managed to be good and effective even in that awful Washington team before the deadline.
Quality player, plug-and-play and always a net positive.