It's the kind of move only a future wife could love.

"She's very supportive of my journey," said former J-D basketball star Tyler Cavanaugh, referring to his fiance Maddy's reaction to moving from the Canary Islands off the coast of Spain, to Lithuania. "Obviously, she was more excited to go to Tenerife, the warmer weather, than she is to go to Kaunas, where it's going to get dark at 3 or 4 p.m. for the six or seven months we're there. And, it's going to be freezing cold."

Cavanaugh signed a two-year contract with an option for a third last month with Zalgiris Kaunas, the top team in the Lithuanian Basketball League, and one of the best teams in the Euroleague. For that reason, the former Red Ram is willing to give up the island life to continue his pursuit of a comeback to the NBA.

It's not because he was homesick.

"It's all about the competition and the opportunity," he said. "I am not eager to go back to the cold, no."

The 27-year-old played in 50 NBA games for the Atlanta Hawks and Utah Jazz between 2017 and 2019, but has spent the last two seasons overseas. Cavanaugh played in the Euroleague for Alba Berlin in 2019-20, but in a complementary role. Last season, he started 49 of 55 games for Lenovo Tenerife in the Spanish League and made great strides, shooting an impressive 47% from three-point range.

Tyler says his path back to the NBA depends on that marksmanship continuing.

"I think the things that will give me the best shot to return to the NBA is shooting the ball from three at a very high percentage, and showing that I can defend my position," said Cavanaugh, who averaged a little less than 8 points and nearly 4 1/2 rebounds per game last year. "I played in the Euroleague two years ago, and I didn't really know how good the basketball was, how high level these players were. Now, I have that knowledge, and I just want to make sure I'm ready for the opportunity."

In the meantime, he's hoping to find some time to brush up on his Lithuanian. Tyler says he was able to get by in the Spanish-speaking Canary Islands, and even got relatively comfortable the year before that while living in the heart of Germany. But Lithuania is going to be a whole different story.

"I know zero Lithuanian, so this will be tough," laughed Cavanaugh. "But, you just learn how to make small talk and ask for certain things that you need. It's a huge adjustment, but just gradually, you learn how to survive."