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45 articles
DEN • Center • #17
26 days ago
Valančiūnas was initially listed as probable with a calf injury, so his availability isn’t a surprise. With Nikola Jokic (knee) returning from injury, though, Valančiūnas will head back to the bench and lose most of his fantasy value.
DEN • Center • #17
27 days ago
While Valančiūnas did not play both games of the Nuggets’ most recent back-to-back, he appears to be on track to play Friday night after logging 25 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Nets. With Nikola Jokić (knee) possibly returning on Friday, the Nuggets may be able to keep JV’s minutes down simply by having the three-time MVP in the lineup.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
27 days ago
Valančiūnas was initially listed as probable, and now he is officially cleared to suit up. This could mean that he won’t play the second leg of this back-to-back against the Clippers since he didn’t play the second leg of their last back-to-back. If that happens, Zeke Nnaji could return to the starting lineup.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
28 days ago
Valančiūnas, who starts for the injured Nikola Jokić (knee), recorded a double-double in Tuesday’s loss to the Pistons. The probable tag suggests that he’ll be available on Thursday, and this matchup could be a good one for the veteran center.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
29 days ago
Similarly to last season when Domantas Sabonis was injured which opened up playing time for Valančiūnas to thrive on the Kings, Nikola Jokic’s injury has done the same for Valančiūnas on the Nuggets. That could be coming to an end as soon as next week as Jokic will be re-evaluated for his return then. Valančiūnas continues to be a great waiver wire addition since Jokic went down and Tuesday’s 16-point, 16-rebound effort showed that once again.
DEN • Center • #17
29 days ago
Valančiūnas missed Friday’s win over the Bucks and was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Grizzlies, which was postponed for bad weather. He was initially listed as probable Tuesday, so his availability isn’t surprising. Zeke Nnaji will return to the bench after playing 37 minutes when Valančiūnas was out against the Bucks. Both Valančiūnas and Nnaji will eventually be squeezed for minutes when Nikola Jokic (knee) returns.
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas did not play in Friday’s win over the Bucks, which prompted Zeke Nnaji to move into the starting lineup. With Aaron Gordon (hamstring) out, Nnaji’s playing time may remain high, but he could be asked to come off the bench.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas did not play in Friday’s win over the Bucks, with Zeke Nnaji starting in his place and playing 37 minutes. Given Denver’s lack of depth in the frontcourt, Nnaji would be worth streaming in deep leagues if he starts.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas returned to the lineup on Thursday following a multi-week absence, so it isn’t surprising that he’ll miss the second leg of this back-to-back. Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes should take on larger roles with Valančiūnas out of the lineup, though only Nnaji has upside as a streamer.
Source: Denver Nuggets
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas returned to the lineup on Thursday and posted a 16/9 line across 22 minutes. After multiple weeks on the shelf, it’s understandable that he’s questionable for the second leg of the Nuggets’ back-to-back set. If JV sits this one out, Zeke Nnaji and DaRon Holmes II could handle additional playing time.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas was back in the lineup after missing the past few weeks, and he immediately started and played 22 minutes. He got off to a hot start, scoring eight points in the first three minutes. He wasn’t quite as effective the rest of the way, but it was important for Denver to have him back out on the floor. This was the first leg of a back-to-back, so don’t expect Valančiūnas to be available to take on Milwaukee on Friday. That should mean a return to the starting lineup for Spencer Jones.
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas is available for the first time since straining his right calf on New Year’s Eve, prompting a change to the Nuggets’ starting lineup. With the veteran center available, Spencer Jones heads to the bench, which shifts Gordon back to his familiar power forward position.
Source: NBA Lineups
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Thursday’s game will be Valančiūnas’ first since New Year’s Eve, when he strained his right calf during a win over the Raptors. While a minutes restriction is likely, the veteran center’s return likely means that fewer minutes will be available to Zeke Nnaji.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
Valančiūnas has been out since straining his right calf during a December 31 win over the Raptors. A return on Thursday would mean he’s about a week ahead of schedule. While the veteran center will likely be under a minutes restriction, Zeke Nnaji will get less playing time.
Source: Bennett Durando
DEN • Center • #17
about 1 month ago
On January 1, Valančiūnas was given a four-week timeline for re-evaluation, but the questionable tag indicates that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a right calf strain. If Valančiūnas is cleared to return, he’ll likely face a minutes restriction, but DaRon Holmes II and Zeke Nnaji could see their playing times reduced.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 2 months ago
Already without Nikola Jokić, the Nuggets lost Valančiūnas during Wednesday’s win over the Raptors. The four-week diagnosis means that Denver will be down its top two centers, and with Aaron Gordon (hamstring) also out, they’re in a tough spot depth-wise. DaRon Holmes II played 22 minutes off the bench on Wednesday; look for him to take on a prominent role out of necessity. He’s worth a roll of the dice, while managers can take a “wait and see” approach to Zeke Nnaji, who was a DNP-CD on Wednesday.
Source: Shams Charania
DEN • Center • #17
about 2 months ago
With Valančiūnas saying in the aftermath of Wednesday’s win over the Raptors that he felt a “pop” in his right calf, he may be looking at an extended absence. Nikola Jokić (knee) will be re-evaluated in four weeks, while Aaron Gordon (hamstring) is not ready to return from his injury. That leaves DaRon Holmes and Zeke Nnaji, with the former playing 22 minutes off the bench in Toronto while the latter was a DNP-CD.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
about 2 months ago
While we don’t yet have a timeline for how long Valančiūnas might be out, an injury to him right now is obviously brutal, as he’s the only other center on the Nuggets’ roster, aside from Nikola Jokic, who is also out for the next month. It’s unclear how the Nuggets would manage their big man minutes with Aaron Gordon also sidelined. The only other healthy player over 6'9" on their entire roster is Zeke Nnaji, so he may be worth a stash in deeper fantasy formats.
Source: Michael Grange
DEN • Center • #17
about 2 months ago
Despite his minutes declining, Valančiūnas started 82 games as recently as the 2023-24 season. Last season, he started 21 games, but notably started nine games for the Kings when Domantas Sabonis was injured. Predictably, Valančiūnas started for the injured Nikola Jokic against the Raptors Wednesday. The results were excellent. Valančiūnas had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes. He’s rostered in just 29 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but absolutely needs to be picked up in more leagues while Jokic is out.
DEN • Center • #17
about 2 months ago
While the overall minutes tally for Valančiūnas was modest, he played 11 of those 16 minutes after halftime. The Nuggets were without Nikola Jokić, who suffered a left knee injury during the final seconds of the first half. If Denver has to play without its three-time MVP, Valančiūnas will likely move into the starting lineup. More should be learned about the severity of Jokić’s injury on Tuesday.
DEN • Center • #17
2 months ago
Valančiūnas was initially probable for Thursday’s game, so the status upgrade was expected. He’ll occupy his usual role as Nikola Jokić’s backup, a spot that offers limited fantasy value at best.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
2 months ago
Valančiūnas was dealing with an illness ahead of Denver’s last two games but ultimately filled his usual role as Nikola Jokić’s backup. The probable tag suggests that the veteran center will be able to take on those responsibilities on Thursday night.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
2 months ago
Initially questionable for Monday’s game, Valančiūnas is now officially available. He will continue to fill his usual role of backing up Nikola Jokić, which is not a good spot to find reliable fantasy value.
Source: NBA Injury Report
DEN • Center • #17
4 months ago
Valančiūnas logged his most productive line as a member of the Nuggets on Friday. He scored a season high in points and hit his first couple of threes of the season during his 16 minutes of game action. The veteran center has served as a nice depth piece for Denver in his first season with the team. He likely won’t move the needle in fantasy basketball leagues, but could continue to play an important role for the Nuggets throughout the season.
DEN • Center • #17
6 months ago
JV was Lithuania’s top scorer and rebounder yet again, and he wraps up Eurobasket 2025 play with averages of 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds across seven appearances. He’ll operate as one of the NBA’s best backup centers behind Nikola Jokic in Denver for the 2025-26 season.
DEN • Center • #17
6 months ago
Having already qualified for the Round of 16 at EuroBasket, Lithuania ended group play with a 4-1 record following Wednesday’s victory. Valančiūnas finished the 74-71 victory one rebound shy of a double-double, showing the attributes that made the Nuggets so willing to acquire him from Sacramento to serve as Nikola Jokić’s backup next season. While that role limits Valančiūnas’ fantasy value, it gives him a far better chance of winning his first NBA title than he would have had with the Kings.
DEN • Center • #17
6 months ago
Valanciunas has been one of the primary scoring options for Lithuania through their first three games of EuroBasket, but this was the first loss for them after they dominated Great Britain and Montenegro. Valanciunas will continue to play an important role for them moving forward, with their next game coming against Finland on Monday.
DEN • Center • #17
6 months ago
Lithuania dominated Montenegro 94-67, so JV didn’t log big minutes, but he was able to make a huge impact in limited court time. Valanciunas’ 19 points led his team, and he surprisingly cashed three triples along the way. Expect him to continue operating as Lithuania’s leading scorer with bigger offensive performances in store for more competitive matchups.
DEN • Center • #17
6 months ago
Lithuania kicked off Eurobasket with a convincing win over Great Britain, and Valanciunas, the lone NBA player on either roster, was the leading scorer and rebounder in this game. He’ll continue to be a focal point for Lithuania throughout the tournament before heading to Denver to play behind Nikola Jokic next season.
DEN • Center • #17
8 months ago
Needing to upgrade their backup center situation, the Nuggets acquired Valančiūnas from the Kings in exchange for Dario Šarić. However, on Thursday, it was reported by BasketNews that the veteran center was considering a move to Europe to play for Greek power Panathinaikos. Valančiūnas is under contract with the Nuggets, so he would require a buyout to move to Greece. According to Charania, the Nuggets view JV as a key component for next season, so he’ll have to fulfill the requirements of his contract. Playing behind Nikola Jokić limits Valančiūnas’ fantasy value, but he’ll have “real” value to a team that hopes to contend for a championship.
Source: Shams Charania