Lithuanian champions Zalgiris Kaunas have secured American forward Dustin Sleva on a 1+1 contract, the club officially announced.
The 29-year-old joins from Turkish side Besiktas after helping lead the team to the Turkish Basketball Championship finals this season.
The forward played a key role in Besiktas’s EuroCup campaign, where he averaged 10.3 points on 40% shooting, along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game—leading the competition in steals.
In the Turkish league, he added 11 points per game on 45.3% shooting from deep, along with 5.8 rebounds and an efficiency rating of 11.9.
Before joining Besiktas, Sleva had a steady climb through Europe’s top leagues, including stints in France, Germany, and Spain.
He began his professional career with Paris Basketball in 2018, where he was later joined by current Zalgiris guard Sylvain Francisco.
Sleva also spent a season with Lowen Braunschweig in Germany before moving to UCAM Murcia in the Spanish ACB for the 2023–24 campaign.
Originally from Shippensburg University in NCAA Division II, Sleva has built his reputation in Europe as a reliable stretch forward with strong defensive instincts.
This signing follows the arrival of Nigel Williams-Goss from Olympiacos, and Zalgiris is reportedly close to adding his former teammate Moses Wright.
The Greens have also parted ways with head coach Andrea Trinchieri as part of offseason rebuild.
Kaunas is aiming to improve on last season’s 13th-place finish in the EuroLeague standings, where they went 15–19.
