The Denver Nuggets remain determined to secure veteran center Jonas Valanciunas as the primary backup for Nikola Jokic in the upcoming season. However, their plan has encountered a delay due to an unexpected interest from overseas.

The Denver Nuggets thought they had finally found an ideal backup center for Nikola Jokic when they were able to convince the Sacramento Kings to trade Jonas Valanciunas for Dario Saric. It was a brilliant trade to give them a rotational-level player, especially considering that Saric couldn't crack into the rotation at all.