Zalgiris Kaunas extended its deal with Maodo Lo for 1+1 seasons, meaning the experienced German guard stays in Lithuania for at least another year - with an option for one more.

For the Lithuanian champion this is the second foreign player to sign long-term. Zalgiris, as every season, is trying to build continuity in its roster - something that rarely works in the EuroLeague, because the budgets of Barcelona, Real and Olympiacos pull every decent guard apart by the same February.

Lo in the regular part averaged 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Numbers that don't make the front of the stat sheet, but say exactly how much players in this category are worth - stability, minutes in the crucial parts of games, experience.

And when Zalgiris needed him in the big nights - that's when he showed up. 21 points against Paris Basket in the last round, 20 against Barcelona, 17 against Olympiacos, 15 against Olimpia Milano. Zalgiris won all four games. Not a coincidence.

For the Balkans the EuroLeague is always more interesting than the NBA - and exactly these moves by mid-tier clubs show where the real stories are built. Not in signing a star for 5 million, but in this kind of 1+1 - calm work, no premium salary, with a clear role in the rotation.