After emerging as one of last season’s EuroLeague surprises, Zalgiris has lost its two biggest stars this summer, Sylvain Francisco and Moses Wright. The Lithuanian club has also parted ways with players including Ignas Brazdeikis and Laurynas Birutis, but it is already assembling a roster that, as of three months before the next EuroLeague season, looks capable of fighting for another playoff place in 2026/27.
The most impressive move so far is the long-term extension signed by 24-year-old Azuolas Tubelis. He broke out in his first EuroLeague season with averages of 12.1 points and 4.5 rebounds, and became one of the most sought-after names in Europe before choosing to stay. Zalgiris may also add veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, 34, who could end a decorated NBA career and return home this summer. In Denver, where he backed up Nikola Jokic, he averaged 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds in just 13.4 minutes per game.
Two more expected additions are Carsen Edwards and Sterling Brown, who would fill the 2 and 3 spots. Edwards averaged 17.3 points in EuroLeague play for Bologna last season, while Brown put up 13.7 points per game for Partizan Belgrade. Already confirmed for next season are former Maccabi Tel Aviv guard Saben Lee and former Zalgiris player Marius Grigonis, giving the Lithuanians a deep rotation.
The club has also brought back center Mark Blazevic after several years away, following a strong season with Tofas Bursa. The projected lineup shown in the report includes Nigel Williams-Goss, Modo Lo and Dovydas Giedraitis at point guard, Edwards and Lee on the wings, Tubelis and Dustin Sleva at power forward, and Valanciunas plus Blazevic at center.
