Jonas Valanciunas has officially concluded his fourteen-season tenure in the National Basketball Association by signing a two-year contract with Žalgiris Kaunas, the historic Lithuanian club where he first began his professional basketball journey. The 34-year-old center, who was recently waived by the Denver Nuggets, will return to his homeland to compete in the EuroLeague and the domestic Lithuanian Basketball League, marking a significant homecoming for one of the most prolific Lithuanian scorers in NBA history .
Contract specifics and financial expectations
Žalgiris Kaunas made the official announcement on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, confirming that Valanciunas will remain with the team through the 2027-28 season. While the club did not disclose the exact financial terms of the agreement, reports from BasketNews indicate that the veteran center is expected to earn approximately €5 million, which translates to roughly $5.5 million over the duration of the two-year deal . This figure represents a strategic financial decision for Valanciunas, as a minimum-salary two-year contract in the NBA would have netted him close to $8 million pre-tax, whereas European salaries are typically reported based on post-tax totals, making the net value of the Žalgiris offer highly competitive .
The signing completes Žalgiris’s roster preparations for the upcoming 2026-27 season, with the club stating that no further additions are expected. Valanciunas will join a roster featuring several other players with NBA experience, including Carsen Edwards, Saben Lee, Nigel Williams-Goss, and Sterling Brown, creating a veteran-heavy lineup ready for success in both domestic and European competition .
From Denver to Kaunas: The path home
Valanciunas’s move to Lithuania comes directly following his release by the Denver Nuggets just one week prior to the announcement. During his single season with the Nuggets, the 34-year-old appeared in 65 games, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest . These statistics reflected a reduced role compared to his earlier career years, as he served primarily as a backup center behind Nikola Jokic, playing an average of 13.4 minutes per game .
Although Valanciunas reportedly received interest from multiple NBA teams willing to offer him a roster spot, he ultimately chose to return to Europe rather than pursue another opportunity in the United States. The decision to sign a two-year commitment with Žalgiris signals a clear intention to settle into this new chapter of his career rather than treating the move as a temporary stopover . The Nuggets benefited financially from the decision, saving approximately $8 million in salary obligations as they prepare for the 2026-27 season .
A 14-year NBA legacy defined by durability
Before joining Žalgiris, Valanciunas built an extensive and well-traveled resume across the NBA, spanning 14 seasons and 1,002 regular-season games, including 854 starts . His career began when he was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in the 2011 NBA Draft, a position that highlighted his status as a top international prospect entering the league . Throughout his time in the league, he earned second-team All-Rookie honors in 2013, establishing himself early as a promising young talent .
Over the course of his career, Valanciunas suited up for six different franchises, including the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and the Denver Nuggets . This journey took him across nearly every region of the league, from his original stint in the Eastern Conference to extensive time in the Western Conference. Across his entire NBA tenure, he compiled career averages of 12.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, numbers that place him among the more productive and reliable centers of his generation . His longevity, spanning 14 full seasons, underscores the consistency he brought to every roster he joined, while his 1,002 games played reflect a career built on durability as much as skill .
Valanciunas played for two international clubs, Perlas Vilnius and Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, before beginning his NBA career, and his return to Žalgiris marks his first time playing in the EuroLeague since 2011 . Throughout his time in the league, he built a reputation as a steady interior presence, someone teams could rely on for rebounding and scoring production over the long haul, a track record that makes his arrival in Kaunas a significant event for Lithuanian and EuroLeague basketball alike .
What lies ahead for the veteran center
With the contract now finalized, Valanciunas will suit up for one of Lithuania’s most prominent basketball institutions, bringing over a decade of top-level NBA experience to a EuroLeague roster that will look to benefit from his scoring, rebounding, and veteran presence . The two-year deal provides him a clear runway through the 2027-28 season, allowing him to transition from the NBA back to the European game he left behind 14 years ago .
For Žalgiris Kaunas, the signing represents a homecoming story as much as a basketball transaction, welcoming back a player widely regarded as the top Lithuanian scorer in NBA history to compete on the club and country stage where his career first took shape . As the 2026-27 season approaches, all eyes will be on how Valanciunas’s NBA-honed skill set translates back into the European competition, where he is expected to operate as the top option at the center spot for his new club .
