Jonas Valanciunas Joins Zalgiris Kaunas on Two-Year Contract After NBA Stint

NBA free agent Jonas Valanciunas has signed a two-year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas, a prominent team in the Lithuanian EuroLeague. The club officially announced the signing on Wednesday. This move comes after Valanciunas was waived by the Denver Nuggets last week, a decision that saved the team $8 million as they strategize for the 2026-27 NBA season.

The 34-year-old veteran, who has played in the NBA for 14 seasons, reportedly had interest from several NBA teams but chose to return to his native Lithuania. During the 2025-26 season, Valanciunas appeared in 65 games as the backup center to Nikola Jokic, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game.

According to a report from BasketNews, Valanciunas is set to earn approximately $5.5 million over the next two seasons with Zalgiris Kaunas. The team expressed enthusiasm about his return on social media, stating, “WARNING: the paint is CLOSED until further notice. Jonas Valanciunas is back in his homeland.” They also added, “The Lithuanian lightning strikes in Kaunas. All-time NBA Lithuanian top scorer Jonas Valanciunas signs a 2-year deal with Zalgiris!”

Before his NBA career, Valanciunas played for two international teams, Perlas Vilnius and Lietuvos rytas Vilnius. He was initially selected by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, and has since had tenures with the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Nuggets.