It's taken a while for the trade to go through, but veteran center Jonas Valanciunas is officially a member of the Denver Nuggets. On Sunday night, the Nuggets announced they acquired Valančiūnas from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Dario Sarič.

You really would like to have a long rotation to start the season and then let things play out as they will,” Adelman told.

Jonas Valanciunas. Source: Getty Images. On August 7, 2021, a significant trade shook up the NBA landscape as the New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, and Charlotte Hornets engaged in a multi ...

With that in mind, former Greece and Panathinaikos coach — and current St. John’s coach — Rick Pitino shared his honest thoughts on Valanciunas’ potential arrival. “ That would be awesome, but it’s going to be very difficult to do because he’s got a year left on his contract, and some compensation will have to be made,” Pitino told Gazzetta.

But there remains a catch. A loose thread dangling from Valanciunas, that if pulled, could cause everything to unravel. This leaves the Nuggets no choice but to continue taking a hard-line stance.

Marc Stein had some thoughts after a recent statement from the Panathinaikos owner on Nuggets' trade target Jonas Valanciunas.