Journalists: Zalgiris is recalling Keenan Evans from London Lions

Zalgiris Recalls Keenan Evans From London Lions Loan

On October 22, 2026, Basketnews journalists Donatas Urbonas and Karolis Tiškevičius reported that BC Zalgiris is recalling guard Keenan Evans from his loan at the London Lions to rejoin the Kaunas club for the current season.

Key Clinical Takeaways:
• Zalgiris recalled Keenan Evans from his London Lions loan following a poor season start and a six-week injury to Nigel Williams-Goss.
• Tomas Masiulis confirmed the team is struggling with offensive organization, poor two-point shooting percentages, and high turnover rates.
• Evans has spent two years not playing basketball, and questions remain regarding his current physical readiness, defensive mobility, and speed for the EuroLeague level.

Injury Crisis and Backcourt Pressures at Zalgiris

The decision to bring back Evans follows a string of backcourt complications for the Kaunas team. Nigel Williams-Goss faces a six-week absence due to injury, leaving the club short-handed after already missing him for a stretch equivalent to nine weeks of play, excluding a brief 12-minute appearance against Anadolu Efes. Zalgiris also deployed Saben Lee and Maodo Lo, while players like Marius Grigonis and Dovydas Giedraitis stepped into ball-handling roles out of necessity. However, it is noted that Lo’s performance has reached a low and Lee is not a creating point guard, leaving the team without a reliable playmaker. When compared across their EuroLeague careers, Saben Lee averages 3.7 assists, Keenan Evans averages 3.6 assists, and Maodo Lo averages 3.4 assists. Meanwhile, even in London, Evans is not the primary playmaker, as Phillip and Soluade each collect 4 assists while Evans tallies 2.5.

Tomas Masiulis Addresses Team Struggles Ahead of ASVEL Matchup

Speaking ahead of a home fixture against Vilerbano ASVEL on October 23, Tomas Masiulis addressed both the team’s operational struggles and the widespread roster speculation. The French club enters the matchup with 2 wins and 4 losses, sharing 14th to 17th place alongside Zalgiris, following consecutive defeats of 82:84 against Crvena Zvezda and 92:111 against Real Madrid. Masiulis acknowledged that the squad is failing to demonstrate expected performance levels, pointing to a lack of patience on offense and a need to share the ball more.

When questioned about the reported recall of Evans and the exact recovery timeline for Williams-Goss, Masiulis stated that medical staff are conducting further evaluations and that he focuses strictly on available roster members, though he admitted that the team clearly struggles in the point guard position and could benefit from reinforcements. Assessing the upcoming opponent, Masiulis noted that ASVEL averages 87.8 points per game—ranking 8th in the tournament—while conceding 95.3 points per contest due to their high-tempo style, physical play, numerous three-point attempts, and sets designed for shooters like Patrick Mills.

Evaluating Evans After a Two-Year Layoff

Reviewing his recent minutes in the Eurocup—including matchups against Siauliai, La Laguna Tenerife, Skyliners Frankfurt, and U-BT Cluj-Napoca—it is observed that Evans struggled to generate space for shots or overtake opponents with explosive speed, shooting 5-of-18 on two-pointers and 6-of-18 from beyond the arc while relying heavily on free throws.

Commentary further notes that Evans was a scorer who played the point guard position rather than a pure distributor, which may affect how his current athletic profile translates back into the EuroLeague rotation alongside existing guards. Analysts point out that Evans has not played basketball for two years, and facing defensive guards leaves him struggling to carve out shooting space or accelerate past defenders with his former explosive speed.