Fenerbahçe continues to surprise. After securing the signing of Shane Larkin—a move that raised eyebrows given he arrived from their historic rival Anadolu Efes—the Turkish club has just announced its next market coup: Ignas Sargiunas, the Lithuanian shooting guard that Barcelona was also pursuing and who will now strengthen Jasikevicius's attack in Istanbul.

The Lithuanian gem that slips away from Barcelona

The 26-year-old player standing 1.96 meters tall has signed a two-year contract with an option for a third with the current EuroLeague champions. Sargiunas arrived with considerable pedigree: in recent months he was linked with the Barcelona club, which was seeking reinforcements for its perimeter. However, Fenerbahçe has moved faster and secured the services of one of the pearls of Baltic basketball.

He comes from Rytas Vilnius, where last season he averaged 12.9 points, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 32 games of the Lithuanian League. His achievements include being instrumental in Rytas's winning the Basketball Champions League (BCL) in the Final Four held in Badalona. According to mundodeportivo.com, with this move Fenerbahçe continues to strengthen its roster to maintain its European dominance.

Youth academy formation and NCAA experience

Sargiunas is a product of Zalgiris Kaunas's youth academy, where he developed through the lower categories. His trajectory was international from an early age: he played in the adidas NextGen EuroLeague final in 2016 in Berlin, before crossing the Atlantic to play in the NCAA.

In the United States, he played for the University of Georgia and Colorado State University, completing a solid formation that combined European experience with American quality. After returning to the old continent, he played for Prienai, German side Bayreuth and Neptunas Klaipeda before joining Rytas in 2024.

The moment that projected him to the elite

What really catapulted Sargiunas into the international spotlight was an act of pure drama. Late last year, the Lithuanian executed three consecutive three-pointers in less than 10 seconds in the final minutes of a 2027 World Cup qualifier against Great Britain, sealing Lithuania's victory with a dramatic 89-88. A moment that established him as one of the most promising names in Nordic basketball.

His record in youth categories is also notable: silver medal at the U-16 Europeans in 2015 and U-18 in 2016, plus bronze at the U-18 in 2017. He is a player who has developed fighting for Lithuania in every international window.

Jasikevicius's project takes shape

With this signing, Saras continues building a team that aims to reclaim the EuroLeague. The Larkin-Sargiunas combination at the guard position offers more sophisticated defence and versatile offensive firepower. Barcelona will see one of the gems it had identified in the market slip away, but that is the reality of modern basketball: Istanbul remains, for now, more attractive than Barcelona.