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Zalgiris Kaunas' marquee offseason signing Jonas Valanciunas has made his official debut for his new team. The 34-year-old Lithuanian center delivered a solid performance in Zalgiris' first domestic league win of the season, helping his team beat Gargzdai 98-77 on the road. Valanciunas finished with 14 points (6/7 2PT, 2/5 FT), 1 rebound and 2 assists in 21 minutes of action.
Keith Smith: Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points (12-for-12 FTs) as Bosnia fell to Lithuania today. Luka Garza finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds.
Jonas Valanciunas made an immediate impact in his first appearance for Zalgiris Kaunas, powering the Lithuanian champions to a 97-85 preseason victory over Rigas Zelli. The 34-year-old controlled the paint throughout his brief spell on the floor. In only 19 minutes, he collected 20 points and nine rebounds, four of them offensive, while converting seven of his 10 two-point attempts and six of seven free throws.
"A lot of things came together," Valanciunas told BasketNews. "On one hand, there are quite a few changes in my life. "After so many years, I'm coming back from the United States to live in Lithuania, where I'll play such an intense season at the highest level. I need to prepare and get into that rhythm. Some nuances are changing, and I want to be ready for them from the very beginning." However, Valanciunas admitted that organizational issues surrounding the national team also contributed to his decision. "When everything is good, you usually don't run away from difficulties. And not everything with the national team was really that good," he said. "There were negatives and technical details which, to me as a veteran player, didn't look good. "We come because of our love for Lithuania, because of patriotism. But there also needs to be a certain process that allows you to work calmly and play for Lithuania."
Valanciunas said frequent last-minute changes had become frustrating. "Now the schedule changes, then it doesn't change. It will happen, it won't happen. There's uncertainty, constant switching... "Yes, the buses are good, charter flights are good, everything is fine. But when the schedule changes within 15 minutes when you're almost already out the door, it looks strange. We're grown men. "The association hasn't been doing this for the first year. The window is only two weeks. You can arrange all the gyms and the whole schedule in advance instead of sitting in the hotel lobby and deciding what we're going to do today."
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Valanciunas turned that argument toward association president Balciunas. "If we're such non-patriots because we didn't come, then I have a question for Mindaugas: Why doesn't he resign?" Valanciunas said. "If you're a patriot and you love Lithuania so much, and you see that it's hell, that things are really bad and the division is terrible, then say: 'For Lithuania, I'm leaving.' "'If that makes Lithuanian basketball better, I'll leave, and we'll make it better. Because I want Lithuanian basketball to improve. Because I'm a patriot.' "But we, the players, are the non-patriots because we didn't come... All right..."
Lithuania has announced a preliminary 14-man roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifying window in August, which notably excludes several of the team's stars. The most prominent absences include Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings), Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls), Kasparas Jakucionis (Milwaukee Bucks), and Jonas Valanciunas (Zalgiris Kaunas).
The Lithuanian national team is preparing to strengthen Rimas Kurtinaitis' coaching staff with an experienced figure. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Alvydas Pazdrazdis is expected to join Kurtinaitis' staff for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup qualification window. The 55-year-old currently works as a scout for the New York Knicks and won an NBA championship with the franchise last month.
Speaking during the Las Vegas Summer League, Kasparas Jakucionis recalled how he learned about the trade while representing Lithuania in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. "I was with the Lithuanian national team and was just waking up in the morning," Jakucionis told Mundo Deportivo. "The trade happened at around 6 a.m. Lithuanian time. I woke up at 8, saw the messages from my agent and everything else, and that's how I found out."
Speaking to Zalgiris TV after completing the move, Valanciunas said the process had taken time but acknowledged that the opportunity to play in Lithuania was a major factor in his decision. "The process was quite long, and we had many conversations, but Lithuania, Zalgiris, and basketball in Lithuania definitely played a big role," Valanciunas said. "The fans and what Zalgiris have been building here over the past few years also really impressed me, so I wanted to be part of it."
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After spending 14 years in the NBA, Jonas Valanciunas is returning to Europe, officially joining the Lithuanian and EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas. Per Zalgiris' official announcement, Valanciunas signed a 2-year deal until the end of the 2027-28 season.
Krepsinis.net: It is announced: Jonas Valanciunas is coming to Kaunas. Jonas Valanciunas: You wake up, and everything has already been decided for you—you don't even really need to make any decisions yourself 😀 Thanks, chroniclers 😀😀😀
Adam Zagoria: Valanciunas must clear waivers before becoming an unrestricted free agent. As of right now, any NBA team can claim Valanciunas within the 48-hour window. He has a standing 2-year offer from Euroleague club Zalgiris, per source
Mirin Fader: "There is so much deeper than people realize. Even going to Lithuania, he was just pulled out of high school and the same exact reputation, all those qualities that you named just now, those were the same exact things that the baggage that he had. It is crazy to say that baggage of a 15-year-old, but he has been carrying that same rep for so many years. It was so surprised being in Lithuania, showing up to the gym every single day was a small town, you could just walk in. I was there for three weeks and I was so stunned to see a mature player, somebody who is actually really thoughtful, really interesting, really obsessed with the IQ and strategy behind the game, hard-working. He was always there beyond his teammates. There is a person in there that is so much more serious about winning than I think people realize."