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 opens up about the trade to the Denver Nuggets, and it only makes the situation more mysterious.

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.