Dubai Basketball has signed Lithuanian-German wing Simas Lukosius and will loan him to Unicaja Malaga, allowing the 23-year-old to continue his development in Spain before joining Dubai’s long-term project.

Dubai announced the move Monday, confirming that Lukosius has signed with the club while remaining at Unicaja on loan. The 2.00-meter wing arrives after helping Rytas Vilnius win the Basketball Champions League during the 2025-26 season.

Lukosius played 16 BCL games for Rytas, averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 18.5 minutes per game. He shot 48.9% from the field and 51.6% from three-point range, making his perimeter shooting the most productive part of his offensive profile.

His most notable performance came in the Basketball Champions League Final, where he scored 23 points and made seven three-pointers to help Rytas secure the championship. In the Lithuanian League, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 31 appearances.

The move gives Lukosius an opportunity to develop in Spain while Dubai retains his future rights. Unicaja provides a different level of competition from Rytas, with the Spanish club established as a regular contender in European competition.

Lukosius previously spent two seasons at Butler before transferring to Cincinnati for his final two NCAA campaigns. He increased his production to 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31 games for Butler in 2022-23, then averaged 11.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 36 games for Cincinnati in 2023-24.

He finished his Cincinnati career in 2024-25 with 10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33 games while shooting 34.9% from three-point range. Lukosius also played professionally in Germany before his NCAA career, appearing in 14 games for Telekom Baskets Bonn in 2020-21.

Dubai is entering its second EuroLeague season after finishing 11th in the 2025-26 regular season with a 19-19 record.

The club has undergone substantial roster changes. Nate Mason, Bruno Caboclo, Taran Armstrong, Matt Ryan and Boogie Ellis have departed, while Aleksa Avramovic, Kevin Kokila and Yannick Kraag have left on loan.

Dubai has added Jaron Blossomgame, Elie Okobo, Davion Mintz, Mamadi Diakite, Kokila, Kraag and Tornike Shengelia, with Xavi Pascual taking over as head coach.