Why Martynas Echodas Failed in Germany & What to Expect from His Return to Lietkabelis

March 24, 2026 Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor Health

Vilnius Rytas has reached an agreement to re-sign center Martynas Echodas, the club announced Tuesday, bringing the 28-year-old back to Lithuania after a stint with Berlin’s ALBA.

The move comes after a mutual contract termination with ALBA, where Echodas struggled to find consistent playing time following a year-long recovery from a knee injury. Echodas previously played for Rytas from 2017-2021 and again in 2022-2024, winning the Lithuanian LKL championship in 2024.

“We are delighted that Martynas is coming home,” said Rytas’s sports director Artūras Jomantas in a statement. “He is a player who knows the head coach, our system, and the club’s internal values perfectly, so we believe his integration into the team’s processes will be extremely rapid.”

Echodas’s time in Berlin was hampered by the injury and limited opportunities. He averaged 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in approximately seven minutes per game in the FIBA Champions League, according to reporting from BasketNews.lt. His role was restricted, in part, due to his extended absence while recovering from the knee injury.

Jomantas emphasized the need for depth in the frontcourt, particularly with upcoming scheduling demands. “Considering that we face a true marathon of games in April and May, and have recently been suffering significantly from injuries, we sought not only to add depth to our frontcourt rotation but also to acquire a player who has been with a club and involved in a regular training process,” he said.

While acknowledging Echodas’s struggles to fully realize his potential in Germany, Jomantas expressed confidence that his familiarity with the Rytas environment would be beneficial. “We saw that Martynas couldn’t fully realize his potential while playing in Germany, but he knows the environment here well, so we hope his international experience will help us,” Jomantas stated.

Echodas is eligible to play for Rytas immediately, ahead of the Basketball Champions League Season X Quarterfinals. The team has met the registration deadline for the competition, according to Eurohoops.net.