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jul 15 2026Jonas Valanciunas returns to European basketball to play for Zalgiris Kaunas. The 34-year-old Lithuanian center, standing 2.11 meters tall, has signed a two-year deal through the 2027/28 season.
The move carries enormous symbolic weight. Valanciunas returns to Lithuania after 14 seasons in the NBA, where he built a solid career after being selected 5th overall in the 2011 Draft.
In the American league, he played for the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Denver Nuggets. In total, he averaged 12.8 points and 9 rebounds per game in the NBA.
His arrival at Zalgiris is more than just a sports signing. It is the return of one of the great figures of Lithuanian basketball home, to a Zalgirio Arena that had been waiting for years to see Valanciunas wearing green.
Paulius Jankunas, the club's president, explained that from the first conversations the player made clear his desire to return to Lithuania, compete in Kaunas, and feel the atmosphere of Zalgiris.
For the Lithuanian team, his signing represents a huge boost: size, experience, rebounding, interior presence, and leadership to compete with more weight in the EuroLeague.
