A pair of North-American-born veterans playing for Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas are drawing NBA interest, reports Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas. According to Urbonas (Twitter links), guard Kevin Pangos and forward Aaron White have caught the eye of NBA teams.
Pangos, who played his college ball at Gonzaga, went undrafted in 2015 and began his professional career in Spain before heading to Lithuania in 2016. He enjoyed the best season of his three-year career in 2017/18, averaging a team-high 12.7 PPG and 5.9 APG in 36 EuroLeague games, and helping lead Zalgiris to the EuroLeague Final Four.
It’s not clear whether Pangos will make the leap to the NBA this offseason – the Canadian recently told Urbonas that he’s unsure about participating in the Las Vegas Summer League in July – but if he doesn’t return stateside, he should have plenty of options in Europe. A source tells Orazio Cauchi of Sportando that Barcelona is ready to offer Pangos a lucrative two-year contract.
As for White, he was the 49th overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Iowa, but has also spent the last three seasons playing internationally, spending time in Germany, Russia, and Lithuania. White, who averaged 8.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG in EuroLeague action this season, remains under contract with Zalgiris for next year, but his deal includes an NBA out clause, Urbonas notes.
The Wizards, who drafted White in 2015, still hold his NBA rights, so it’s not clear if the “strong interest” he’s receiving from the NBA is coming from Washington or another club. If White isn’t part of the Wizards’ future plans, another team could probably trade for his draft rights at a very modest price.