Valencia Basket has strengthened its backcourt by signing former All-EuroLeague guard TJ Shorts to a two-year contract, including certainly one of Europe’s best playmakers after a season by which he helped Panathinaikos AKTOR attain the EuroLeague Playoffs.
Shorts averaged 8.1 factors, 1.3 rebounds and a couple of.9 assists in 43 EuroLeague appearances for Panathinaikos throughout the 2025-26 season, enjoying a lowered function in contrast together with his breakout marketing campaign in Paris. The Greek membership completed seventh within the common season at 22-16, received the Play-In Showdown and superior to the playoffs earlier than losing a five-game series to Valencia Basket.
The transfer reunites Shorts with Valencia after he confronted the Spanish membership in that playoff collection. Valencia entered the 2025-26 EuroLeague postseason because the No. 2 seed with a 25-13 regular-season file, ending behind solely Olympiacos, earlier than defeating Panathinaikos 3-2 within the quarterfinals.
Shorts arrives with a confirmed EuroLeague résumé. Within the 2024-25 season with Paris Basketball, he averaged 19.0 factors, 2.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.0 steal per recreation over 37 EuroLeague video games. He led Paris to an eighth-place regular-season end, a highway victory over Actual Madrid within the Play-In Showdown and a playoff look towards eventual champion Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.
His manufacturing earned him EuroLeague MVP of the Month honors for November 2024 and a spot on the All-EuroLeague First Staff. He additionally received the French League MVP award for the second consecutive season.
Earlier than his EuroLeague breakout, Shorts established himself as probably the most adorned guards exterior the competitors. He guided Paris Basketball to the 2023-24 EuroCup title, averaging 18.0 factors, 3.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.9 steals in 23 video games whereas incomes each EuroCup MVP and EuroCup Finals MVP honors.
A season earlier, Shorts led Telekom Baskets Bonn to the 2022-23 Basketball Champions League championship, gathering BCL MVP and Last 4 MVP awards. He additionally earned German League MVP honors after averaging 18.3 factors, 3.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.7 steals per recreation within the competitors.
Valencia is making adjustments after shedding a number of key contributors from its 2025-26 roster. Jean Montero, who led the staff with 14.4 factors and 4.8 assists per EuroLeague recreation, is among the departures alongside Darius Thompson, Jaime Pradilla, Xabi Lopez-Arostegui, Braxton Key, Sergio de Larrea and Isaac Nogues. Head coach Pedro Martinez also left the club, with Xavi Albert taking over through 2028.
