By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Five years after his departure, EuroLeague champion Marius Grigonis is back to Zalgiris on a one-year deal.
His addition to the 2026–27 roster was announced by the EuroLeague participant on Friday.
Per the press release: “After a five-season break, 32-year-old EuroLeague champion Marius Grigonis is returning to Zalgiris Kaunas.
After a five seasons break, Marius Grigonis returns to Kaunas on a 1-year deal! 🙌
(Presented by: Artea) pic.twitter.com/Psbrbk7LbU
— BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) June 20, 2026
The 198 cm tall guard has signed a one-year contract.
Grigonis concluded his previous stint in Kaunas in 2021, and over the past four seasons he played for Panathinaikos Athens, with whom he became a EuroLeague champion in the 2023–2024 season.
During his time in Greece, Grigonis also won the Greek Basketball League once and lifted the Greek Cup twice.
His most productive EuroLeague season with Panathinaikos came during their championship year, when he averaged 9.1 points and 8.7 efficiency rating over 41 games.
Grigonis and head coach Tomas Masiulis have already worked together in the Zalgiris-2 team. During that period, they won bronze medals twice over two seasons.
“When the season starts, then we’ll be able to really explore that feeling, but for now everything is good. It’s still home, you know everything, many of the same people are here, and I see you’ve added new faces too, so we’ll see. It’s a mix of emotions. We have a long and deep history with Zalgiris. I’ve kept in touch with Paulius Jankunas: we went out to eat, and it all worked out in a way that I think will be good for everyone: both Panathinaikos and Zalgiris. Everything came together this year, and I believe it’s the right decision for me to come here,” Grigonis shared in his first interview.
Club president Paulius Jankunas also gave his thoughts on the new signing, emphasizing Grigonis’ character.
“Marius is certainly not at an age where he can’t play anymore. He can definitely compete at the level he was at before his injuries. Our main concern was his health, but as he confirmed himself and as medical checks showed, the issues have been resolved. Now Marius follows his routine and knows what, when, and how much he needs to work on.
Knowing Marius’ character, from the first conversation it was clear that, above all, he wants to prove a lot to himself that he still can do it. But I think that during the time he wasn’t playing, there were also people, maybe even teams, he wants to prove it to as well. He’s ambitious and hungry for basketball, and I believe he’ll succeed,” emphasized Jankunas.”
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