Zalgiris had one of their best seasons in years — a EuroLeague playoff appearance, a domestic double, real momentum. Then summer arrived and two of their most important players left. Sylvain Francisco moved to Panathinaikos. Moses Wright joined Milan. For most clubs, losing both would mean a step back.
Zalgiris didn't take a step back. They reloaded aggressively.
The new faces
Carsen Edwards arrives from Virtus to fill the backcourt scoring void left by Francisco's departure. He's shown in EuroLeague before that he can create his own shot and carry an offense for stretches — exactly the kind of player a team needs when its primary shot-creator walks out the door.
Sterling Brown joins after two seasons at Partizan, adding size and defensive versatility to the guard rotation. Saben Lee comes in from Anadolu Efes, another proven EuroLeague guard who strengthens the backcourt depth even further. Between Edwards, Brown and Lee, Zalgiris didn't just replace Francisco — they added three guards with real European experience.
Up front, the two biggest additions define the frontcourt overhaul. Marek Blazevic returns from Tofas, adding depth and familiarity at center. And then there's the headline move of the entire summer: Jonas Valanciunas, after 14 years in the NBA, is coming home. A two-year deal, a genuine EuroLeague-caliber center in his prime years of experience, and a statement of intent from a club that could have played it safe after a good season and instead chose to push further.
Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu joins from Cedevita Olimpija to add rim protection and shot-blocking depth behind Valanciunas — another piece built for a team that wants to compete at the top of the standings, not just make up the numbers.
The one gap that isn't fully closed
There's a name on this roster that looks like a returning starter but needs to be watched carefully: Marius Grigonis. He's back at Zalgiris after leaving Panathinaikos, and on paper he slots straight into the small forward spot. But Grigonis is still working his way back from a serious back injury that cost him almost an entire season — he played just a handful of games in 2024-25 before undergoing surgery, and his recovery has been long and, at times, uncertain.
He returned to action for the 2025-26 season, which is a good sign. But a player easing back from a major back injury isn't the same player he was before it happened, at least not immediately. That makes small forward the position to watch on this roster. Arnas Butkevicius is the only other listed option at the spot, and the depth chart shows no clear third name behind him. If Grigonis needs time to fully find his rhythm, or manages minutes carefully through the season, small forward could be the one position where Zalgiris's otherwise stacked roster shows some thinness.
What it adds up to
Under Tomas Masiulis, who guided this team to the playoffs and a domestic double last season, Zalgiris now have a roster that looks genuinely built for a deeper European run — proven guards, a real starting center in Valanciunas, frontcourt depth behind him. The ceiling is higher than it's been in years.
The question that decides how high they actually go might come down to something less visible than any of the headline signings: how quickly Grigonis gets all the way back.
