It’s not so usual to see NBA players crave to leave to play overseas. It’s usually the other way around. However, Jonas Valanciunas isn’t like most players, and he wants to return to the Old Continent.
He reportedly reached an agreement on a multi-year deal with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, but he’s still under contract in the NBA, and he was recently traded to the Denver Nuggets.
With that in mind, former Greece and Panathinaikos coach — and current St. John’s coach — Rick Pitino shared his honest thoughts on Valanciunas’ potential arrival.
Rick Pitino would love to see Valanciunas in Greece
“That would be awesome, but it’s going to be very difficult to do because he’s got a year left on his contract, and some compensation will have to be made,” Pitino told Gazzetta.
For now, it looks like the Nuggets don’t want to cave, and they know that it could set a dangerous precedent. Barring a shocking turn of events, he’s not going anywhere.
And while he’s not going to play as many minutes because of Nikola Jokic’s presence, Valanciunas could be the type of elite pickup that could help this team get back to the mountaintop.