By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a blockbuster announcement on Tuesday morning, Valencia has welcomed Nikola Mirotic.
Per the press release: “Valencia Basket has reached an agreement with Montenegrin big man and Spanish international Nikola Mirotic (2.08m, Podgorica, 11/02/1991, age 35) for him to join our Club for the 2026–27 season. The player arrives in Valencia as a free agent after parting ways with AS Monaco, the team with which he played last season’s EuroLeague Playoffs (11 points on 39.3% three‑point shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists for a PIR of 12.7 across 31 games in the top continental competition) and helped win a quartet of titles (Supercup, Leaders Cup, French Cup and French League), posting 11.1 points on 40.3% three‑point shooting and 3.7 rebounds during the 2025–26 campaign.
Mirotic will continue in Valencia Basket a EuroLeague career in which he is about to begin his 13th season in Europe’s top competition. His presence in the EuroLeague has been almost uninterrupted, with the only exception being the season he spent on loan at Palencia at age 18 and the five years he played in the NBA between 2014 and 2019.
Across his EuroLeague career, Mirotic has averaged 14.4 points on 39.9% three‑point shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists for 17.1 PIR over a total of 307 games, reaching the Final Four on six occasions. Those numbers will continue to rise in orange, as he currently ranks fifth all‑time in PIR and fifth all‑time in scoring in the history of the competition.
Mirotic’s trophy cabinet includes fifteen club titles, having won national leagues three times in Spain and once each in Italy and France, as well as two medals with the Spanish national team: EuroBasket 2015 gold and the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. He also holds more than twenty individual awards and selections to competition best fives.
With this signing, Mirotic becomes the first player in Valencia Basket’s history to have been named to the NBA All‑Rookie First Team (2014–15 season) and the first to join the taronja after having been named EuroLeague Regular Season MVP (in 2022).”
The new ‘4’ has arrived
Before the official announcement even hit the press wires, the superstar forward set the internet ablaze by confirming the move himself in a viral video message.
“Hello Valencia, I’ve been told you’re looking for a number 4, so here I am,” mentioned the Most Valuable Player of the 2021–22 EuroLeague season, instantly signaling his arrival via a surprise social media reveal.
Habemus 4 🧡 pic.twitter.com/4cXTxOjaEk
— Valencia Basket Club (@valenciabasket) September 15, 2026
Staying in the top tier of Euroleague Basketball, the highly decorated veteran forward-center makes his move to Spain’s Liga Endesa following one season with AS Monaco. Having overcome the injury disruptions that hampered his stint, Mirotic arrives completely healthy and cleared for immediate action.
His illustrious career brings an unprecedented tier of elite pedigree to the squad. Mirotic boasts immense experience on the grandest stages, spanning 307 EuroLeague appearances where he consistently proved himself to be one of the most efficient and feared offensive weapons in modern European history. Beyond his continental dominance, his top-level resume includes 359 NBA games where he played prominent, impactful roles as a floor-spacing big for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks.
At the team coached by Xavi Albert, the Podgorica native is joining Armoni Brooks, Alvaro Cardenas, Gonzalo Corbalan, Mouhamadou Gueye, Lucas Mari, Omari Moore, Dylan Osetkowski, Josep Puerto, Nathan Reuvers, Neal Sako, Mario Saint-Supery, TJ Shorts II, Yankuba Sima, Kameron Taylor, and Elias Valtonen.
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