The 30-year-old will be able to make his debut in Round 18.
Kevin Pangos seals move from Milan to Valencia
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Valencia Basket has confirmed the signing of Kevin Pangos on a deal until the end of the 2023-24 season, with an option for a further year. Pangos (1.86 meters, 30 years old) joins Valencia from EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, where he averaged 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in five Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games this season. The Canadian-born point guard is in his sixth EuroLeague season.
A difficult couple of years in Milan
There was a lot of fanfare following the announcement that Pangos would be joining Milan in the summer of 2022, but his time in the fashion capital did not quite go to plan. Pangos arrived as the replacement for Sergio Rodriguez, who had returned to Real Madrid, yet his first season failed to live up to expectation as he lacked consistency and also dealt with injuries.
Despite Milan head coach Ettore Messina stating in the offseason that Pangos could return to the level he showed during his time at Zenit St. Petersburg, where he was named to the All-EuroLeague First Team in the 2020-21 season, the Italian tactician soon changed his tune. As such, he took the decision to freeze Pangos after Round 5, with Milan staring at a 1-4 record.
Reuniting with Brandon Davies
Another player who had a similar experience in Milan and now plays for Valencia is Brandon Davies. Pangos now gets to join forces with his ex-teammate for the fourth time in their EuroLeague careers, as they played together for one year at Zalgiris Kaunas (2017-18), one year at FC Barcelona (2019-20) and one year at Milan (2022-23). Their chemistry on the court could become a weapon for Valencia head coach Alex Mumbru as we enter the second half of the season.
Pangos will have to battle with Chris Jones, Valencia’s star point guard, for minutes in the rotation, but after a period in which he has been cast aside in Milan, the 30-year-old will surely just be glad to be playing again.
Pangos’s journey to Valencia
Having begun his European adventure with Dreamland Gran Canaria in the 2015-16 season, which saw him named to the All-EuroCup Second Team, Valencia will be Pangos’s third team in Spain having also spent two years at Barcelona between 2018 and 2020.
Pangos’s EuroLeague career began in the 2016-17 campaign as he joined Zalgiris, and the following season he was named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team due to his play for the Lithuanian side. Then came his two years in Barcelona, one season at Zenit and his last year and a half at Milan. He also spent one year in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now 30, Pangos will be keen for Valencia to become the home he has been looking for. Coach Mumbru’s troops have a 9-8 record so far and find themselves in ninth place, which would be good enough for a play-in spot if the season ended today. Valencia will be hoping that Pangos’s arrival can help solidify the club’s playoff push.