Nikola Jokic was fourth in the NBA in minutes per game last season, which the Denver Nuggets hope to decrease during the 2025-26 season after they acquired Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings to play backup center.
“We know that one of the most important things we have to do next season is take care of him, and make sure that he is the best version of himself if we’re lucky enough to get to that playoff spot,” said David Adelman on reducing Jokic’s minutes. “So yeah, it’s a concern. But it needs to be talked about. It needs to be done the right way. That’s what we’re gonna do.”
The Nuggets plan on using Valanciunas as a hub on offense with a “point center” label attached to him.
“He’s a bona fide, big-time center over the last decade who you can put in a bunch of different spots all over the floor,” Adelman said. “And when I say ‘point center,’ I mean someone you can play through in the half-court. I don’t envision him getting a rebound and pushing the ball up. I do think some of the things we already do (work with him): playing five-out with back-side dribble handoffs, playing off the elbows, posting him up against smaller lineups, his ability to make others better.
“It’s not the assist numbers that matter to me. It’s his ability to start ball movement through the impact of who he is. So he’s an enormous get. I’m super excited about getting him here, getting him acclimated.”