Jonas Valanciunas reportedly agrees to join Zalgiris, but Nuggets contract remains a hurdle

Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas, a longtime NBA player and star of Lithuania’s national team, has reportedly reached a two-year agreement with Zalgiris Kaunas, according to BasketNews. The report says the 34-year-old could return to European basketball after 14 years in the NBA, but the move is not yet complete because he still has one more season left on his Denver Nuggets contract.

That NBA deal is the main obstacle, although the Nuggets can choose to cancel it. Both sides are said to be hoping to find a solution that would allow the transfer to go through. If that happens, Valanciunas would join the Lithuanian club, which he was linked with as a candidate for Panathinaikos last season.

Valanciunas began his career in Vilnius, playing in 2008/09 for the Rytas Vilnius reserve team before moving up to the senior side two years later. He then entered the NBA as the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft.

Last regular season, Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 13.4 minutes per game. The report also says Zalgiris is close to additional high-profile signings, with Carson Edwards and Sterling Brown nearing agreements.