NBA : Jonas Valanciunas leaves the league and returns to Zalgiris Kaunas
This time, there will be no going back. After several summers with his name regularly linked to the EuroLeague, Jonas Valanciunas has decided to head home to Lithuania. The 34-year-old center has signed a two-year deal with Zalgiris Kaunas, bringing an end to a 14-year NBA career.
The timing is no accident. Denver waived him a few days ago, keen to clear a contract with only a small portion still guaranteed. Several teams checked in, but the Lithuanian made his return home the priority. Zalgiris, which had been pushing hard to land him for months, has finally got its man.
An important chapter closes
Taken fifth in the 2011 Draft, Valanciunas arrived in the NBA the following year with Toronto. Over time, he built a reputation as one of the league’s most dependable big men, later spending time with Memphis, New Orleans, Washington, Sacramento and then Denver.
Never a superstar, he carved out a name for himself as a reliable pro. More than 1,000 games played, close to 13 points and 9 rebounds a night for his career, several playoff runs and a role that was often valuable in the paint. Even this season, he was doing a job for the Nuggets behind Nikola Jokic, making 65 appearances and averaging just under 9 points per game.
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Zalgiris lands a major coup
In Kaunas, the setting will be completely different. Valanciunas is no longer coming in to steal a few minutes off the bench behind an MVP, but to become one of the faces of the project. The Lithuanian champions have brought in a seasoned interior presence, someone who can make an impact around the rim and bring serious high-level experience.
For the player, the move also carries a personal edge. He is back at the most iconic club in his country, the one he never got to represent after leaving for the NBA at a young age. A circle closed more than 15 years after he left Lithuania to try his luck across the Atlantic.
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