Jonas Valanciunas Returns to Lithuania on Two-Year Deal With Zalgiris Kaunas
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Jonas Valanciunas is leaving the NBA after 14 seasons and will sign a two-year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas in his native Lithuania, according to Krepsinis.net’s Jonas Leksas.
Denver waived the 34-year-old center last Wednesday, avoiding a full guarantee on his $10 million salary for 2026/27 and limiting its obligation to a $2 million partial guarantee. The Nuggets have until August 29 to decide whether to keep that amount on this season’s books or use the stretch provision to spread the cap hit—about $667,000 per year—over the next three seasons.
Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes across 65 games (six starts) for Denver in 2025/26, shooting 58.2% from the field. His postseason role was minimal, totaling 25 minutes in four games during the Nuggets’ first-round loss to Minnesota.
The veteran reportedly tried to return to Europe last summer, traveling to Athens to finalize a three-year agreement with Panathinaikos. That deal collapsed when Denver declined to negotiate a buyout after acquiring him from Sacramento in exchange for Dario Saric.
Multiple NBA teams—including the Knicks and Lakers—were linked to Valanciunas once he cleared waivers last week, but he opted for a move back to Europe, where he starred before entering the NBA in 2012. At Zalgiris, he joins a roster featuring former NBA players Carsen Edwards, Saben Lee, Nigel Williams-Goss and Sterling Brown.
Valanciunas leaves the league with 1,002 regular-season appearances (854 starts) for Toronto, Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, Sacramento and Denver. He earned NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2013 and posted career averages of 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Source: Hoops Rumors
