The year in which Nikola Jokic could land at Panathinaikos

The European market is once again turning its gaze towards the NBA with a proposal that, if materialized someday, would be one of the biggest bombshells in basketball history. Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, owner of Panathinaikos, has revealed that this past summer he made a formal proposal to try to acquire Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' star.

The Greek businessman stated on the Euro Insiders podcast that his intention was to buy the last year of the three-time NBA MVP's contract and convince him to play in Athens. The Nuggets' response was negative, but Giannakopoulos is not giving up on the deal. Madness in the NBA market?

"I made a very serious proposal this year to both his team and to him. I received a rejection. I know he has one more year on his contract," he explained.

Jokic still has two seasons and $121.8 million remaining on his current contract, although the second season is conditioned on a player option. This means that the Serbian center will have the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

And that's where Panathinaikos aims to step in.

"Let's wait until next year"

Giannakopoulos acknowledged that Denver's response to his proposal was almost immediate but made it clear that he does not plan to give up on convincing the player when he has the freedom to decide his future.

"It took them a few seconds to say: 'Who? Greece? Where? What? Goodbye.' But let's wait until next year," he affirmed.

The Panathinaikos owner even encouraged the podcast hosts to contact Misko Raznatovic, Jokic's agent, to verify the seriousness of the proposal made during this summer.

The Serbian's contractual situation fuels speculation. Jokic, 31, had the opportunity since June 14 to sign a four-year, $278 million extension with the Nuggets, but he chose not to. The player has insisted that his "idea and desire" is to stay in Denver for the remainder of his career, although he has also decided to wait to make a decision for economic reasons.

In July 2027, Jokic will be eligible for a five-year, $359.5 million extension with Denver, which would be the largest contract in NBA history.

The precedent of Valanciunas

This is not the first time Giannakopoulos has tried to attract a Nuggets star to Athens. Last summer, he attempted to persuade Jonas Valanciunas to join Panathinaikos. The Greek owner's persistence sparked rumors of a possible agreement, but ultimately, the Lithuanian center played the season in Denver.

Valanciunas left the Colorado franchise this summer to return to Europe and sign with Zalgiris Kaunas.

Now, Giannakopoulos' goal is much more ambitious: Nikola Jokic.

Panathinaikos aims to become one of the major players in European basketball, and the arrival of the Serbian would be a historic leap for the EuroLeague. The three-time NBA MVP is considered one of the best players in history, and his potential move to Europe would be an unprecedented event.

For now, Jokic continues to prioritize Denver, and there is no indication that he will leave the Nuggets in the short term. But Giannakopoulos has already issued the warning.

This summer, Denver said no. The Panathinaikos owner is already looking to the next one.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El año en el que Nikola Jokic podría aterrizar en el Panathinaikos