Jonas Valančiūnas Nearing Zalgiris Return

Jonas Valančiūnas has reportedly reached a two-year agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas, contingent on the resolution of his situation with the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. If the deal is finalized, the veteran center will depart the NBA after 14 seasons to return to Lithuania, as reported by BasketNews.

The club had set a deadline for the Lithuanian big man to make a decision by Monday (June 22) and received a positive response.

This means that if Valančiūnas leaves the NBA, Zalgiris will be his sole destination. The Lithuanian champions have won the battle against other European clubs to secure his signature.

However, Valančiūnas will only officially sign with Zalgiris once his NBA situation is fully resolved.

Valančiūnas had considered a return to Europe last year and was close to a move to Panathinaikos. The 34-year-old veteran even traveled to Greece for medical examinations, but the deal fell through after Denver acquired him via trade and decided to retain him for the 2025/26 season.

His current NBA contract runs until July 8, 2026. The deadline was previously moved from June 30, giving Denver more flexibility around the free agency market, which begins on July 1.

Zalgiris and Valančiūnas anticipate this process will conclude soon, paving the way for his return to Lithuania after 14 years in the USA.

Once his NBA departure is finalized, Valančiūnas will officially join Zalgiris, marking one of the biggest transfers in the club's recent history.

Last season, Valančiūnas played 65 games for the Denver Nuggets, averaging 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, shooting 58.2% from the field and 30.8% from three-point range.

In his NBA career, he has played 1002 games, averaging 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds, with 56.1% field goal shooting and 34.0% from long distance.

Now, after more than 1000 NBA games, Valančiūnas is on the verge of a historic return to Europe, signing with the Kaunas-based team.

Zalgiris is also expected to finalize deals for Carsen Edwards and Sterling Brown, though official announcements are still pending.

The team has already announced the signings of Saben Lee, Marius Grigonis, Marek Blaževič, and Maxwell Lewis, who will be loaned out to another team.