NBA News: Jonas Valanciunas Wants To Return To the EuroLeague

Jonas Valaciunas wants to return to the EuroLeague before his career is done

Jonas Valanciunas, now 33, began his professional basketball journey in the EuroLeague, playing with Rytas Vilnius in 2010–11. After 13 NBA seasons, he's badly missing the atmosphere of playing in Europe, and says he wants to return there before his career is done.

While the Sacramento Kings' big man was a spectator recently at the 2025 EuroLeague Final Four in Abu Dhabi, he talked about his desire to return, in an interview with SPORT24, translated via BasketNews:

I want to play in the EuroLeague, I want it for this atmosphere. I want to play basketball, I want to enjoy this atmosphere.

He still has two years remaining on a three-year, $30 million free agent deal that he signed with the Washington Wizards last summer, so it's assumed he'll be remaining in the NBA for at least the next two years.

Valanciunas was taken with the 5th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors, where he spent the first six and a half years of his career. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the middle of the 2018-19 season for Marc Gasol, who went on to be a big factor in helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA championship.

JV spent two more seasons in Memphis before heading to the New Orleans Pelicans for three years, and finally splitting last season between the Wizards and the Kings.

Over the course of his career, Valanciunas has averaged 13.1 points and 9.3 rebounds.

He's played for his home country, Lithuania, several times over the years in FIBA events, but now he's hoping to head back overseas before his career is done.