Itās not so usual to see NBA players crave to leave to play overseas. Itās usually the other way around. However, Jonas Valanciunas isnāt 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 heās still under contract in the NBA, and he was recently traded to the Denver Nuggets.
With that in mind, former Greece and Panathinaikos coach ā and current St. Johnās coach ā Rick Pitino shared his honest thoughts on Valanciunasā potential arrival.
Rick Pitino would love to see Valanciunas in Greece
āThat would be awesome, but itās going to be very difficult to do because heās got a year left on his contract, and some compensation will have to be made,ā Pitino told Gazzetta.
Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the Sacramento Kings smiles after making a basket in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Golden 1 Center on April 13, 2025 in Sacramento, California.
For now, it looks like the Nuggets donāt want to cave, and they know that it could set a dangerous precedent. Barring a shocking turn of events, heās not going anywhere.
And while heās not going to play as many minutes because of Nikola Jokicās presence, Valanciunas could be the type of elite pickup that could help this team get back to the mountaintop.
