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sep 27 2026Donatas Motiejunas is not thinking about retirement. The 36-year-old Lithuanian center, without a team since his stint at Red Star ended, is close to joining PAOK Thessaloniki, according to Greek media SDNA and Sport24. The contract, according to BasketNews, would be guaranteed through the end of the 2026-27 season. Sport24 notes that the Lithuanian is the club's first choice for the center position, though the front office continues to explore other alternatives.
A Year in a Secondary Role in Belgrade
Motiejunas' last season was atypical. He started the 2025-26 campaign under contract with AS Monaco, but in early October was loaned to Red Star, who needed size due to an accumulation of injuries. The initial loan was for three months; in December both clubs reached a new agreement and the Lithuanian finished the season in Belgrade.
His numbers reflect a more secondary role than in Monaco: 6.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 12.6 minutes across 27 EuroLeague games, and 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 18 ABA League games. It's his lowest European output since returning to the continent, far from the 9.7 points he averaged in his first year in the Principality. Serbian media noted that he started strong in Belgrade and lost playing time in the final stretch.
From the 2011 Draft to Two Final Fours with Monaco
Motiejunas was selected with the 20th pick of the 2011 Draft and his rights ended up with Houston. He played six seasons in the NBA with the Rockets, Pelicans and Spurs, appearing in 251 regular season games and averaging 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds. He then spent several years in China, where he was one of the league's top interior players, before returning to Europe with Monaco in 2021. In his four seasons on the Rock, he played in two EuroLeague Final Fours, in 2023 and 2025.
A EuroCup with a EuroLeague-Caliber Roster
The Lithuanian would be the final piece of an ambitious reconstruction. PAOK has installed Andrea Trinchieri on the bench and signed Cedi Osman, Nick Calathes, Naz Mitrou-Long, Marcus Foster, Trevor Hudgins and Kyle Alexander, among others, this summer. With Alexander as an athletic power forward, Motiejunas would provide the opposite profile: back-to-basket play, post passing and veteran savvy.
The project is already showing results. On Saturday, a three-pointer by Osman at the buzzer defeated his former team, Panathinaikos under Obradovic (82-84), in the Greek Super Cup semifinals, and this Sunday PAOK plays the final against Olympiacos. In the EuroCup, the Thessaloniki squad shares a group with Kids&Us Manresa.
