{"id":9207,"date":"2026-05-14T19:45:53","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rytasvilnius.lt\/en\/?p=9207"},"modified":"2026-07-03T17:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T14:48:40","slug":"defensive-specialist-remains-in-vilnius-rytas-extends-contract-with-martynas-paliukenas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rytasvilnius.lt\/en\/news\/defensive-specialist-remains-in-vilnius-rytas-extends-contract-with-martynas-paliukenas\/","title":{"rendered":"DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST REMAINS IN VILNIUS: RYTAS EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH MARTYNAS PALIUK\u0116NAS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"ng-star-inserted\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">Vilnius Rytas announces that an agreement has been reached with 191 cm guard Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas on a new contract, valid until the end of the 2026-2027 season. This move aims to retain the team&#8217;s core and ensure stability on both ends of the court.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ng-star-inserted\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas, who became a FIBA Champions League champion with the team this season, averaged almost 16 minutes per game in 9 international tournament appearances, scoring 3.6 points, grabbing 2.6 rebounds, dishing out 1.8 assists, and securing 1 steal per game. In the Lithuanian Basketball League, sponsored by Betsson, the 32-year-old Vilnius native averages 6 points, 2.25 rebounds, 2 assists, and 6.15 efficiency rating points in approximately 17 minutes on the court.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ng-star-inserted\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">&#8220;Signing a new contract with Rytas, I realized that I would represent my city, my club, and the best fans for at least another year. This is a great privilege and honor. I am incredibly happy to represent these three colors, this club. Forward, Vilnius!&#8221; said Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ng-star-inserted\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">Paliuk\u0117nas, a true Vilnius native and the team&#8217;s defensive specialist, joined Rytas at the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. During this period, he has consistently demonstrated professionalism, dedication, and significant contribution to the team&#8217;s play, underscoring his crucial role in defensive schemes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"ng-star-inserted\"><span class=\"ng-star-inserted\">&#8220;Martynas&#8217; decision to stay with our team is a pivotal step in forming the team&#8217;s core for the upcoming seasons,&#8221; stated Art\u016bras Jomantas, Sports Director of Vilnius Rytas. &#8220;He is not only a reliable defensive specialist but also an exceptional personality. Although Martynas faced injury challenges this season, his professional approach to rehabilitation and sincere support for the team from the bench became an example for all of us. His experience, ability to maintain a high energy level, and invaluable role in the locker room are irreplaceable.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vilnius Rytas announces that an agreement has been reached with 191 cm guard Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas on a new contract, valid until the end of the 2026-2027 season. This move aims to retain the team&#8217;s core and ensure stability on both ends of the court. Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas, who became a FIBA Champions League champion with the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9208,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[94],"class_list":["post-9207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rytas","tag-martynas-paliukenas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST REMAINS IN VILNIUS: RYTAS EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH MARTYNAS PALIUK\u0116NAS - Vilniaus \u201eRYTAS\u201c<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rytasvilnius.lt\/en\/news\/defensive-specialist-remains-in-vilnius-rytas-extends-contract-with-martynas-paliukenas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST REMAINS IN VILNIUS: RYTAS EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH MARTYNAS PALIUK\u0116NAS - Vilniaus \u201eRYTAS\u201c\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vilnius Rytas announces that an agreement has been reached with 191 cm guard Martynas Paliuk\u0117nas on a new contract, valid until the end of the 2026-2027 season. This move aims to retain the team&#8217;s core and ensure stability on both ends of the court. 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