What happened: The Lithuanian club officially announced the agreement on Wednesday, bringing the center back to his homeland. His move abroad follows his entry into unrestricted free agency last week after the Denver Nuggets waived center Jonas Valanciunas ahead of a July 8 contract guarantee deadline.

Why it matters: His departure removes a reliable interior veteran from the NBA free-agent pool during the 2026-27 offseason, closing the door on interest from frontcourt-needy franchises that monitored him ahead of the waiver deadline. For Zalgiris Kaunas, securing the Lithuanian big man immediately strengthens the club's frontcourt rotation and paint defense for the upcoming EuroLeague campaign.

What to watch: Zalgiris Kaunas will integrate the veteran center into training camp ahead of the 2026-27 EuroLeague season tipoff in October. Meanwhile, NBA front offices searching for interior depth must pivot to remaining veteran free-agent targets on the market ahead of fall camps.