Denver Nuggets predicted to waive key contributor in free agency

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Michael Kaskey-Blomain•NBA EntertainmentAdd The Sporting News on GoogleThe Denver Nuggets will be very limited when it comes to their salary cap space over the offseason, and they could be forced to make some difficult decisions as a result. One player who faces an uncertain future with the Nuggets is backup big man Jonas Valanciunas, who has one nonguaranteed year remaining on his current contract. The Athletic's John Hollinger recently predicted that the Nuggets will waive and stretch Valanciunas, as opposed to keeping him on the roster and paying him his full salary for the 2026-27 season. From Hollinger: This one was baked in the day the Nuggets acquired him from the Kings last summer and certified when Valančiūnas couldn’t make an impact in the playoffs. Denver will eat the remaining $2 million, stretch the cap hit over three years and give Valančiūnas his wings to avoid the tax penalties of paying him $10 million.Valanciunas is well aware that the Nuggets could decide to move on from him this summer. "First of all, everything depends on whether they trade me, keep me, or not. That is their decision. Right now I think their bigger question is what they will do with the roster in general, who stays and who leaves," Valanciunas said of his future in Denver. "As far as I understand, only Nikola Jokic is untouchable, while everyone else can be traded.”More to come. More NBA news: Lakers' LeBron James makes bold claim regarding NBA GOAT debateDonald Trump shares high praise for Spurs' Victor WembanyamaDallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving provides major offseason injury updateAnthony Davis reveals which Lakers player he misses the most, and it's not LeBron JamesCleveland Cavaliers' James Harden provides NBA retirement timelineMichael Kaskey-BlomainMichael Kaskey-Blomain is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is an experienced sportswriter and media member with over a decade in the industry. He has covered the NBA and NFL for a variety of outlets, including CBS Sports, 247 Sports, FanSided and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Michael grew up just outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and currently resides in Philadelphia.