Valanciunas posted two points (1-3 FG) and two rebounds over four minutes during Thursday's 110-98 loss to Minnesota in Game 6 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Valanciunas was essentially a non-factor in this playoff series with 6.3 minutes per night across four contests. He played a minimal role in the regular season as well, averaging 13.4 minutes per night across 65 contests with 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Headed to bench
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Valanciunas will come off the bench for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Spurs.
Nikola Jokic (wrist) will return from a one-game absence, but he'll likely have his minutes limited, so Valanciunas could still see quality playing time in the reserve role. Per 36 minutes this season, Valanciunas has averaged 23.3 points, 13.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per contest.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Vintage performance in win
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Valanciunas ended with 23 points (9-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 17 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 32 minutes during Friday's 127-107 win over the Thunder.
Valanciunas turned back the clock as Denver opted to rest a number of its starters. Against a Thunder team that adopted the same strategy, Valanciunas was able to take full advantage, delivering his best performance of the season. While it was great to see some juice in the legs, don't expect Valanciunas to play more than about 12 minutes per contest once the playoffs arrive.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Starting against Oklahoma City
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Valanciunas will start in Friday's game against Oklahoma City, Justin Martinez of The Oklahomanreports.
With Nikola Jokic (wrist) sitting out, Valanciunas will start for the first time since the 128-125 win over the Jazz on March 2. In five starts during the 2025-26 campaign, the 33-year-old has averaged 14.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.6 steals across 23.6 minutes.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Scores efficient 14 points
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Valanciunas racked up 14 points (6-6 FG, 2-3 FT), four rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes during Wednesday's 136-119 win over the Grizzlies.
It was an incredibly efficient outing by Valanciunas, who has managed to total 48 points in just 42 minutes covering his past four appearances. The veteran center still hasn't logged at least 15 minutes since the March 17 win over the 76ers, and Aaron Gordon has effectively taken most of the backup center minutes while also serving as Denver's starting power forward.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Left out of rotation Friday
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Valanciunas (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Friday's 121-115 win over the Raptors.
Heading into Friday, Valanciunas' spot in the Denver rotation appeared to be tenuous, as the veteran center had logged seven minutes or fewer in five of the Nuggets' previous seven contests. With Friday's contest proving to be tightly contested throughout, Nuggets head coach David Adelman finally pulled the plug on Valanciunas, who was handed his first DNP-CD of the season. Valanciunas' odds of re-emerging in the rotation will only grow dimmer moving forward, as the imminent return of Peyton Watson (hamstring) could result in Aaron Gordon logging more minutes as a small-ball center whenever starter Nikola Jokic is off the court.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Stuck in reserve role
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Valanciunas posted eight points (3-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-6 FT), nine rebounds and one assist across 19 minutes during Tuesday's 124-96 victory over Philadelphia.
The minutes and boards were both the veteran big man's most since the Feb. 3 loss in Detroit. As long as Nikola Jokic is healthy for the Nuggets, Valanciunas should remain stuck in the No. 2 center spot with limited fantasy upside. Valanciunas has averaged 4.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 8.2 minutes per contest in his last seven games, shooting 56.5 percent from the field.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Coming off bench Thursday
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Valanciunas is not in the Nuggets' starting lineup against the Lakers on Friday, Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com reports.
Valanciunas was in the Nuggets' starting five in Monday's 128-125 win over the Jazz, when he finished with 13 points, six rebounds, one assist and one steal over 17 minutes. He'll revert to a bench role for Thursday's contest while Zeke Nnaji starts alongside Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Julian Strawther and Nikola Jokic.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Logs 13 points in starting role
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Valanciunas logged 13 points (4-6 FG, 5-5 FT), six rebounds, one assist and one steal over 17 minutes during Monday's 128-125 victory over the Jazz.
Valanciunas played in unfamiliar territory Monday night, as he ran with the first unit at the four alongside Nikola Jokic. Valanciunas lacks the floor-stretching ability of other big men who can roam beyond the baseline, but the Nuggets made the call given numerous injuries throughout the roster. Putting Valanciunas and Jokic together can make sense down the stretch to give Denver a size advantage up front, so there could be repeat appearances of this scheme until Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Peyton Watson (hamstring) can return to action.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Drawing rare start
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Valanciunas is starting Monday's game against the Jazz.
Valanciunas will draw his first start since Jan. 29 due to the absences of Cameron Johnson (ankle) and Spencer Jones (shoulder). Valanciunas is averaging 15.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 blocks in his previous four starts.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Limited role continues
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Valanciunas amassed 11 points (5-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists and one block in 12 minutes during Wednesday's 103-84 victory over the Celtics.
Valanciunas continues to log around 12 minutes per night on a consistent basis, having hit that very mark in four straight games. With Nikola Jokic back steering the ship, Valanciunas is merely a backup now, averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds during that four-game span.
Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-doubles in 22 minutes
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Valanciunas chipped in 11 points (4-4 FG, 3-5 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal across 22 minutes during Tuesday's 124-121 loss to the Pistons.
Valanciunas recorded his third double-double of the season, even sharing the court with Nikola Jokic for a period. Since Jokic made his return, Valanciunas has seen his role regress, serving almost exclusively as the backup center. While this was an encouraging performance, it's difficult to label Valanciunas as a must-roster player, especially given what we saw from him earlier in the season. For now, treat him as a streaming option if you need rebounds.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Won't start Friday
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Valanciunas won't start against the Clippers on Friday.
With Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Valanciunas will retreat to the bench. The veteran big man has averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game over 32 appearances off the bench this season.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Good to go Friday
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Valanciunas (calf) is available for Friday's game against the Clippers.
As expected, Valanciunas will shed his probable tag and suit up Friday. The veteran big man has appeared in four outings following an extended absence due to a calf strain. During that stretch, he has averaged 14.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.0 minutes per tilt. However, with Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Valanciunas will likely see fewer minutes.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Probable for Friday
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Valanciunas (calf) is probable for Friday's game against the Clippers.
Valanciunas is expected to play through another probable tag related to his calf injury. He may see a reduced role, however, as Nikola Jokic (knee) is expected back in the lineup Friday.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Will play Thursday
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Valanciunas (calf) has been cleared to play Thursday against the Nets.
Valanciunas was trending in the right direction after being listed as probable, and the team has now officially cleared him to take the court Thursday. The big man is fresh off a double-double Tuesday against the Pistons, recording 16 points and 16 rebounds in 31 minutes.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Probable for Thursday
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Valanciunas (calf) is probable for Thursday's game against the Nets.
Thursday's game will be the first of a back-to-back set, so while Valanciunas is expected to play in that one, he may sit out Friday's game in Utah. Managers can expect to get official confirmation on Valanciunas' status closer to Thursday's tip.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Drops 16 and 16 in defeat
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Valanciunas ended with 16 points (6-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist and one block over 31 minutes during Tuesday's 109-107 loss to Detroit.
Valanciunas had one of his best games of the season in just his second game back from a calf injury that sidelined him for three weeks. His 16 rebounds were a season-best, while his 16 points were just one shy of his best scoring performance this year. He played 31 minutes, which is a good indicator of his recovery from that calf injury.
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Nuggets' Jonas Valanciunas: Available to play
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Valanciunas (calf) is available for Tuesday's game versus Detroit.
Valanciunas is back after a one-game absence, which will likely shift Zeke Nnaji back to the second unit, and DaRon Holmes could drop from the rotation entirely. Over two starts this season, Valanciunas has averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 swats per game.
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