European basketball gained an experienced player as Jonas Valanciunas signed a two-year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas. The Lithuanian EuroLeague team announced the signing on Wednesday. The Denver Nuggets had waived Valanciunas the previous week, allowing the team to save $8 million as they prepared for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season.

Though Valanciunas, a 14-year NBA veteran at 34, attracted interest from various NBA teams, he chose to return to Lithuania. During the 2025-26 NBA season, he appeared in 65 games, serving as a backup center for Nikola Jokic. Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds, playing 13.4 minutes per game.

Zalgiris Kaunas is reportedly prepared to pay Valanciunas approximately $5.5 million over the next two seasons, as shared by BasketNews. In a creative social media post, Zalgiris Kaunas emphasized Valanciunas’s defensive prowess, noting, “WARNING: the paint is CLOSED until further notice. Jonas Valanciunas is back in his homeland.” They highlighted his significance by calling him “Lithuanian lightning strikes in Kaunas,” acknowledging him as the all-time NBA Lithuanian top scorer.

Before commencing his NBA journey, Valanciunas played for international clubs, Perlas Vilnius and Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius. He entered the NBA in 2011 after being selected by the Toronto Raptors as the fifth overall pick. Over his NBA career, Valanciunas played with several teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Denver Nuggets.