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ago 09 2026Keenan Evans is back at Zalgiris Kaunas. The Lithuanian club has announced his return on a 1+1 contract, though the American point guard won't start the EuroLeague season with them. Next season he will play on loan at London Lions in the EuroCup, with the goal of regaining rhythm after two physically demanding years.
The move reads quite clearly. Zalgiris gets back a player who already performed at the highest level in Kaunas, but doesn't force his immediate return. Evans needs minutes, continuity, and a more stable season to rebuild his confidence after several serious injuries.
His spell at Olympiacos was practically a blank slate. He arrived from Zalgiris in the summer of 2024, but barely played. Last season he appeared in just one EuroLeague game, precisely against Zalgiris. He was returning from a knee injury suffered in May 2024, but two minutes in, he tore his left Achilles tendon.
Before that injury chain, Evans was one of Europe's most impactful point guards. In the 2023/24 season, recovered from a previous right Achilles tear, he played all 34 EuroLeague games for Zalgiris and averaged 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals.
He had also started the 2022/23 season at an elite level, with 16.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 16 games, before suffering an injury against Fenerbahce.
London Lions now appears as a logical intermediate stop. He will play EuroCup, have a competitive environment, and will share the British club with another Zalgiris loan player, Maxwell Lewis. Additionally, the team is coached by Tautvydas Sabonis, a former assistant at the Lithuanian club.
For Evans, this is no ordinary step back. It's an opportunity to feel like a player again. For Zalgiris, a prudent bet: retain his rights, protect the process, and keep the door open to seeing him back in Kaunas if his body responds.
