Shams: Kings Trade Jonas Valunciunas to the Nuggets for Dario Saric; *UPDATE* - Trade is Now Official

[KGtabake]

Awful look for Val and the Greek team. Super unprofessional and bush league.

I hate Panathinaikos but I cannot agree with this take at all. Two main reasons why:

1) NBA teams poach players from European teams all the damn time. Why is it any different now that it's happening the other way around?

2) Valanciunas wants to be close to his family. He has two school-age sons and he has changed 3 teams in the past calendrar year (Washington to Sacramento and now Denver). Wanna know how many teams he changed before this past year? 3 teams in 12 years. That's a pretty big difference, isn't it? In his previous stops, he stayed there for multiple years, bought a home in the area and he was able to be with his family. He hasn't been able to do that in this past season. He cannot expect his family to uproot their lives every 4 months (again, his kids are in school) and he cannot really visit them during the NBA season either (especially when we're talking distances like Sacramento to Washington or Tennessee).

Signing a long-term deal with Panathinaikos solves that problem for him. His family can choose to stay with him in Greece (since it's a multi-year deal and he's not going to get traded) but even if they choose to return to their native Lithuania, it's only a 3 hour flight. That's much closer than flying across the entire US to get from Sacramento to Washington.

At the end of the day, I simply cannot blame anyone for wanting to be near their family.

You signed the deal. You honor the deal.

At the very least, you talk to the team you're under contract with about what you're doing before doing it.

This was a garbage move from Val and the Greek team. Showed the Nuggets zero respect.

Totally unprofessional.

I don't like it at all. No matter if it was Val or an NBA team doing it.

Please, tell us examples from the past which show that the NBA teams actually respect the European teams and never approach players within contract I'll be waiting.

[KGtabake]

Not sure if this is real but just passing it along.

Read on Twitter

That is pretty much the tamest, most calm, and nicest thing he's ever posted.

Yep. Actually he looks like he has taken his medicine on that one

[Exp0sed]

We'll get him one way or another lol
He didn't sign the contract for the Nuggets, he was traded there without anyone asking him.
He has the right to choose where he wants to play, it's his life.
He won't pay anything, he will just underperform intentionally if they keep him so he will be bought out later this season

He has no rights

He is under contract

He needs them to allow him out .

Everything your wrote was nonsense.

The Nuggets can stop him if they want to.

They could hold him until they get tired. He legally cannot get out without their consent.

That alone is enough.
Read what you wrote again and give it a good thought.
He has no rights? Who are you to say something like this?
The contract wasn't signed with Denver either you like it, either you don't.
European basketball doesn't work like the NBA (thank god). Players actually have rights.
You don't have a clue what a player can do if he's unhappy. If Denver wants to keep a player against his will, good luck with the season. You are going to need it.

He has rights as per his contract. His contract can be traded to another team without his consent and he knew that when he signed

With that said, i think the two sides should reach a compromise, wherein Val will play this season (and will be released from his 2nd year) with an assurance from the FO that if they can get some1 to fill his role, he will be released at the deadline

Sent from my SM-A055F using RealGM mobile app

[Wallace_Wallace]

Awful look for Val and the Greek team. Super unprofessional and bush league.

I hate Panathinaikos but I cannot agree with this take at all. Two main reasons why:

1) NBA teams poach players from European teams all the damn time. Why is it any different now that it's happening the other way around?

2) Valanciunas wants to be close to his family. He has two school-age sons and he has changed 3 teams in the past calendrar year (Washington to Sacramento and now Denver). Wanna know how many teams he changed before this past year? 3 teams in 12 years. That's a pretty big difference, isn't it? In his previous stops, he stayed there for multiple years, bought a home in the area and he was able to be with his family. He hasn't been able to do that in this past season. He cannot expect his family to uproot their lives every 4 months (again, his kids are in school) and he cannot really visit them during the NBA season either (especially when we're talking distances like Sacramento to Washington or Tennessee).

Signing a long-term deal with Panathinaikos solves that problem for him. His family can choose to stay with him in Greece (since it's a multi-year deal and he's not going to get traded) but even if they choose to return to their native Lithuania, it's only a 3 hour flight. That's much closer than flying across the entire US to get from Sacramento to Washington.

At the end of the day, I simply cannot blame anyone for wanting to be near their family.

You signed the deal. You honor the deal.

At the very least, you talk to the team you're under contract with about what you're doing before doing it.

This was a garbage move from Val and the Greek team. Showed the Nuggets zero respect.

Totally unprofessional.

I don't like it at all. No matter if it was Val or an NBA team doing it.

Please, tell us examples from the past which show that the NBA teams actually respect the European teams and never approach players within contract I'll be waiting.

European players have an NBA out clause set at X dollars depending on how many years are left. When NBA drafts X player from Europe, if the buyout price is too high, then they “draft and stash” until the buyout price gets lower. Unfortunately, a big market team (from anywhere) cannot just outright sign a player from another team without a buyout/transfer fee, and that player cannot use “close to home” as a reason to get to that team.

In Asia, the only example I can think of is Yao Ming (see my post #353).

Now for Val, this might set a precedent for the NBA for them invent an out clause, a buyout price at x dollars depending on how many years are left. But at the moment, if an European team wants to buyout Val’s expiring contract at 10 million (either one time or in installments), more power to them.

[nomansland]

You don’t know where in America I live

Why would that matter? The fallout doesn't care.

Yeah like Godymas would be invited to the nuclear bomb shelter

Someone let him know that his mom's basement doesn't count.

[KGtabake]

You signed the deal. You honor the deal.

At the very least, you talk to the team you're under contract with about what you're doing before doing it.

This was a garbage move from Val and the Greek team. Showed the Nuggets zero respect.

Totally unprofessional.

I don't like it at all. No matter if it was Val or an NBA team doing it.

Please, tell us examples from the past which show that the NBA teams actually respect the European teams and never approach players within contract I'll be waiting.

European players have an NBA out clause set at X dollars depending on how many years are left. When NBA drafts X player from Europe, if the buyout price is too high, then they “draft and stash” until the buyout price gets lower. Unfortunately, a big market team (from anywhere) cannot just outright sign a player from another team without a buyout/transfer fee, and that player cannot use “close to home” as a reason to get to that team.

In Asia, the only example I can think of is Yao Ming (see my post #353).

Now for Val, this might set a precedent for the NBA for them invent an out clause, a buyout price at x dollars depending on how many years are left. But at the moment, if an European team wants to buyout Val’s expiring contract at 10 million (either one time or in installments), more power to them.

Not every player has an NBA out clause.
In the past very few players actually had one.
That didn't stop NBA teams from approaching the players agents while the players were still under contract.
The whole "tampering" thing didn't start now.
It's happening for years especially from NBA teams against teams from Europe.

So, sorry but i don't feel any sympathy if now it happens the other way around (although i don't think it's the case here).

[KGtabake]

He has no rights

He is under contract

He needs them to allow him out .

Everything your wrote was nonsense.

The Nuggets can stop him if they want to.

They could hold him until they get tired. He legally cannot get out without their consent.

That alone is enough.
Read what you wrote again and give it a good thought.
He has no rights? Who are you to say something like this?
The contract wasn't signed with Denver either you like it, either you don't.
European basketball doesn't work like the NBA (thank god). Players actually have rights.
You don't have a clue what a player can do if he's unhappy. If Denver wants to keep a player against his will, good luck with the season. You are going to need it.

He has rights as per his contract. His contract can be traded to another team without his consent and he knew that when he signed

With that said, i think the two sides should reach a compromise, wherein Val will play this season (and will be released from his 2nd year) with an assurance from the FO that if they can get some1 to fill his role, he will be released at the deadline

Sent from my SM-A055F using RealGM mobile app

We covered that in previous posts. If he retires from the NBA and forfeits all the salary remaining, he can do as he wishes.
I don't think he wants to be paid any amount.
The Nuggets will get the mle and they'll sign another player.

[Pachinko_]

I mean he did sign a contract that says he has to play wherever his team sends him.
But it doesn't say that he has to play well, or play through pain (and every basketball player always has some kind of pain, somewhere).
Which is what NBA players most commonly do: they find a doctor who makes it look bad, and they stay home with their playstation.
In which case he eats into your cash, your cap space and your rotation space for no benefit whatsoever.
What are you gonna do?

Which is why players ultimately hold all the cards and when they really want to leave, their teams ultimately let them go.
The only thing the Nuggets can do is hold onto him for a while in case someone gives them something in return, which is obviously not gonna happen if the player says he doesn't want to play in the NBA anymore. Which is why the Nuggets will eventually let him do his thing.

Now, I agree with the gentleman before who said this is a pretty juvenile way to behave, he should've at least given the Nuggets a warning early enough to find someone else. Not that he would tell them himself, he would ask his agent to tell them.
So my question is, maybe he did? Valanciunas doesn't really strike me as the kind of dude to just up and go without talking to anyone.

Is it possible the Nuggets were told from the start and they pretend they didn't listen for some reason?
I don't actually know anything, just ticking all the boxes, checking all possibilities.

[Optms]

I mean he did sign a contract that says he has to play wherever his team sends him.
But it doesn't say that he has to play well, or play through pain (and every basketball player always has some kind of pain, somewhere).
Which is what NBA players most commonly do: they find a doctor who makes it look bad, and they stay home with their playstation.
In which case he eats into your cash, your cap space and your rotation space for no benefit whatsoever.
What are you gonna do?

Which is why players ultimately hold all the cards and when they really want to leave, their teams ultimately let them go.
The only thing the Nuggets can do is hold onto him for a while in case someone gives them something in return, which is obviously not gonna happen if the player says he doesn't want to play in the NBA anymore. Which is why the Nuggets will eventually let him do his thing.

Now, I agree with the gentleman before who said this is a pretty juvenile way to behave, he should've at least given the Nuggets a warning early enough to find someone else. Not that he would tell them himself, he would ask his agent to tell them.
So my question is, maybe he did? Valanciunas doesn't really strike me as the kind of dude to just up and go without talking to anyone.

Is it possible the Nuggets were told from the start and they pretend they didn't listen for some reason?
I don't actually know anything, just ticking all the boxes, checking all possibilities.

Mental gymnastics at a 10 here. You're ignoring the more simpler answer. He just doesn't want to play in Denver. Not that hard to figure out.

[BelgradeNugget]

I mean he did sign a contract that says he has to play wherever his team sends him.
But it doesn't say that he has to play well, or play through pain (and every basketball player always has some kind of pain, somewhere).
Which is what NBA players most commonly do: they find a doctor who makes it look bad, and they stay home with their playstation.
In which case he eats into your cash, your cap space and your rotation space for no benefit whatsoever.
What are you gonna do?

Which is why players ultimately hold all the cards and when they really want to leave, their teams ultimately let them go.
The only thing the Nuggets can do is hold onto him for a while in case someone gives them something in return, which is obviously not gonna happen if the player says he doesn't want to play in the NBA anymore. Which is why the Nuggets will eventually let him do his thing.

Now, I agree with the gentleman before who said this is a pretty juvenile way to behave, he should've at least given the Nuggets a warning early enough to find someone else. Not that he would tell them himself, he would ask his agent to tell them.
So my question is, maybe he did? Valanciunas doesn't really strike me as the kind of dude to just up and go without talking to anyone.

Is it possible the Nuggets were told from the start and they pretend they didn't listen for some reason?
I don't actually know anything, just ticking all the boxes, checking all possibilities.

He could have aproched his team - Sacramento after the season and asked them for release from contract. To go to Europe, close to home...He didn't do that. Why? Maybe because he had another year on his contract for $10M, totaly unguaranted, and had verbal agreement with Sacramento on 2nd year guarante.

Maybe after trade Sacramento did with Denver, to be able to sign Schroder, Denver didn't want to promise guarante on 2nd year of contract. By the way, they couldn't speak to him until trade is done. That is when nostalgie stracted and he persued more lucrative offer from Panathinaikos. So now Denver instead of having $5M against cap from Saric contract will have $10M aginst cap from Valanciunas' contract. It looks like Denver doesn't want free money from buyout, but backup C.

Let's say Denver backs off of this deal and signs Al Horford for $7M (more than other teams interested in him can offer). Saric's deal is $5M. They can agree buyout with him and end with the same money. Nothing to lose for them.

If Denver backs off the trade, Sacramento wont be able to sign Schroder, they could lose the most.

[BelgradeNugget]

For people interested in topic

https://www.spotrac.com/news/_/id/2381/understanding-the-sasha-vezenkov-situation

They say something about "dead money on their cap sheet"

[Godymas]

Why would that matter? The fallout doesn't care.

Yeah like Godymas would be invited to the nuclear bomb shelter

Someone let him know that his mom's basement doesn't count.

i see you live in the rare matriarchal society

[sisibilio]

Really? What the point in that? The hope that in like a decade you might leave your bunker to a world that has to starts from scratch?

if you’d rather die in nuclear war then say it. i’d rather not

The safest countries are New Zealand, Greenland, Chile.

The best missile defense is Israel who can manage 90% for a tiny land area. Missile defense won't save you. Maybe the iron dome project will change that but not anytime soon.

Unless you are part of a shadow government or have an underground bucker to hide in until you die you are not going to make it through.

The safest place is anywhere with a sealed bunker. The total devastation would only affect a pretty small área, even in the hardest hit countries, it's the ensuing radiactive fallout what would cause the most harm, and that would spread worldwide.

[UcanUwill]

What if Sacramento knew Valanciunas wanted to go back to Eurpoe and offered the trade to Denver? That would be more bush league than Panathinaikos and JV making this deal happen. If they were caught off guard by, then so be it and disregard this. Just felt the need to say it, because who knows these days what people may or may not know.

I like to see that people like my guy Jonas, but I do not know why people want to shift blame from him so bad. It is on him, it is not on Panathinaikos or Sactown, it is on Jonas. Why would Sacramento even do this deal iof they new Jonas is leaving, like they actually want Dario Saric? Come on, they traded Jonas to shave money.
You usually do not see other teams approach under contract guys like that, because guys don't go - you know, f it, I will just leave my under contract team and go with you guys. - that does not happen, and it is all on Jonas here.

Clearly Denver wants to see him on their team and I personally hope he decides to man up and be a Denver Nugget.

[Indomitable]

That alone is enough.
Read what you wrote again and give it a good thought.
He has no rights? Who are you to say something like this?
The contract wasn't signed with Denver either you like it, either you don't.
European basketball doesn't work like the NBA (thank god). Players actually have rights.
You don't have a clue what a player can do if he's unhappy. If Denver wants to keep a player against his will, good luck with the season. You are going to need it.

He has rights as per his contract. His contract can be traded to another team without his consent and he knew that when he signed

With that said, i think the two sides should reach a compromise, wherein Val will play this season (and will be released from his 2nd year) with an assurance from the FO that if they can get some1 to fill his role, he will be released at the deadline

Sent from my SM-A055F using RealGM mobile app

We covered that in previous posts. If he retires from the NBA and forfeits all the salary remaining, he can do as he wishes.
I don't think he wants to be paid any amount.
The Nuggets will get the mle and they'll sign another player.

He can never play again then. I said that. Unless he is released from the contract.

[John Murdoch]

Guy spends his career in the worst spots finally gets to a winning situation and than wants out lol...not a winning player

[magee]

What if Sacramento knew Valanciunas wanted to go back to Eurpoe and offered the trade to Denver? That would be more bush league than Panathinaikos and JV making this deal happen. If they were caught off guard by, then so be it and disregard this. Just felt the need to say it, because who knows these days what people may or may not know.

I like to see that people like my guy Jonas, but I do not know why people want to shift blame from him so bad. It is on him, it is not on Panathinaikos or Sactown, it is on Jonas. Why would Sacramento even do this deal iof they new Jonas is leaving, like they actually want Dario Saric? Come on, they traded Jonas to shave money.
You usually do not see other teams approach under contract guys like that, because guys don't go - you know, f it, I will just leave my under contract team and go with you guys. - that does not happen, and it is all on Jonas here.

Clearly Denver wants to see him on their team and I personally hope he decides to man up and be a Denver Nugget.

Because Sacramento wouldn't want to hold onto Jonas if the deal fell through. They are doing it to save money. If they need that saved money for the other trades they have lined up, this renounced trade for Dario Saric would alter their team building plans.

Valanciunas might have to sacrifice this one year, then, if Denver waives him next summer when his contract is non-guaranteed, he can go play in Greece.

[magee]

I really don't think anyone would be that foolish. This sounds like the kind of stuff that would eventually leak if true and I'm not sure other GMs would be likely to wanna do business with a known bad-faith actor.

The only ONLY reason I don't complete dismiss this notion is that it's the Sacramento Kings. If anyone would dare pull anything like this, it would be the Kings.

Trash post.

Kings do dumb **** all the time. That’s not the same as bad faith actions. Perry’s been around the league a long time.

I don't think they would deal in bad faith. Until we get confirmation on it, the question had to be posed if they knew about Jonas and Panathinaikos trying to make a deal before they traded him to Denver.

I also think the Kings need to deal done for their own team building purposes and would look like fools if they indeed knew about it, then called Denver up to offer them Valanciunas for Saric's smaller contract.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

He is not a free agent. He should not even go to the interview when he is already under contract.

I can interview with other companies whenever I want to if it will put my family in a better situation.

You can. Not NBA players or coaches. Like Jason Kidds who's under contract with the Mavs as their head coach need permission from the team to be interviewed by the Knicks.

I think they can have interviews with teams outside the NBA.
The tampering rules punish teams, not players. The NBA can't punish Panathinaikos.

[HotRocks34]

As expected, Val's agent apparently went rogue without telling the Nuggets what was going on. The tweet is from a Greek basketball reporter.

Zero sympathy from me. Seems like you blew up Denver's free agency, didn't tell them that you were going to talk with the other club and now you just expect Denver to help you out? Yeah, ok.

If Denver knew that Val was going to try to get out of his deal, they probably never set up the trade.

Read on Twitter