According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday, the Denver Nuggets have no intention of letting Jonas Valanciunas leave the team. They 100% hope that Valanciunas will fulfill his existing contract and have made this position clear to his agent.

The Nuggets sent Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings last week in exchange for 33-year-old Lithuanian center Valanciunas. However, Valanciunas himself prefers to return to Europe and is very close to joining the Greek giants Panathinaikos. He therefore applied to the Nuggets for a buyout of his two-year contract worth a total of $20.4 million, but was ultimately not approved.

Valanciunas officially entered the NBA in 2011, and then moved to the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards and Sacramento Kings. According to ESPN statistics, he played 81 times for the Wizards and Kings last season, averaging 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 54.9% from the field and 21.1% from three-point range.

For the Nuggets, Valanciunas' joining means an overall improvement in the depth of the inside line and the quality of the rotation. He will serve as the chief substitute for Nikola Jokic, helping the latter get more rest time.

Valanciunas has been in Athens for more than two days and is preparing to undergo a medical examination. Prior to this, he had already reached an agreement with Panathinaikos on a three-year contract with a net income of 12 million euros.