Olympiacos strengthens its defense of the European title

There is a foolproof formula to measure a club's alignment with its season: count how many players it has decided to change. Olympiacos has opted for almost absolute continuity. It maintains the block that conquered its fourth European title, thirteen years after the previous one, and has invested resources to improve those aspects it considers lacking. The result is an expensive but surgical market.

The 2025-26 season was practically perfect for the Greeks. They finished first in the regular season with 26 wins and 12 losses, swept Monaco 3-0 in the quarter-finals, eliminated Fenerbahçe in the semi-finals, and won the final against Real Madrid. A seamless path that made them the first team to top the regular season and lift the trophy in the history of the competition.

The legacy of a historic season

Individual awards reaffirmed collective solidity. Sasha Vezenkov was named MVP of the regular season with 19 points per game and a rating of 22.1. Nikola Milutinov led the rebounding statistics with 7.2 per game. Evan Fournier took home the MVP of the Final Four, while Tyler Dorsey made it to the second-best team of the competition. It was an unusual accumulation of distinctions that reflected the distribution of offensive protagonism.

This coral distribution of responsibilities in playmaking was, precisely, the key to their success, but also their weak point. Olympiacos won without a dominant point guard, without a conductor to control the rhythm and the pacing. Georgios Bartzokas made the system work, but he knew that improving in this aspect could elevate the team's competitive ceiling even higher.

Departures: minimal and without impact

Only eight players left the roster, and none of them were part of the winning core. Alec Peters moved to Olimpia Milan, Frank Ntilikina to Paris Basketball, and Keenan Evans to Žalgiris. The most talked-about departure in Greece was that of Moustapha Fall, who joined Panathinaikos, a move that always transcends beyond the purely sporting in Athens. Shaquille McKissic signed with Türk Telekom, while Monte Morris and Kostas Antetokounmpo rounded out the list of farewells.

The strategy was clear: do not touch winners. Vezenkov, Milutinov, Fournier, Dorsey, Tyson Ward, Omiros Netzipoglou, Donta Hall, and Tyrique Jones remain with the team. Cory Joseph and captain Kostas Papanikolaou renewed their contracts. And most importantly: Georgios Bartzokas continued with a contract extension after conquering the European title.

Incorporations: quality and projection

Jean Montero is the signing with the highest potential for appreciation in the entire European market. The 23-year-old forward arrives from Valencia after having the best season of his career. He was MVP of the ACB playoffs, recognized as Rising Star of the EuroLeague, and recorded a rating of 45 in the fourth game of the series his team played against Panathinaikos. His arrival represents a bet on the immediate future.

Codi Miller-McIntyre lands from Red Star with impressive credentials. The point guard led the EuroLeague in assists with 7.4 per game over 39 games, making him the pure playmaker that Bartzokas's team lacked. He is the perfect complement to Montero, the missing piece in the center of the Greek offensive system.

Mbaye Ndiaye comes from ASVEL after the payment of a €400,000 buyout clause, while Nikos Plotas joins from Promitheas Patras. Both will complete the rotation on the perimeter, providing depth to a roster that now has more attacking options.

The challenges of title defense

The addition of Miller-McIntyre and Montero solves the structural problem of playmaking but generates new tensions. Olympiacos now has four players who require a volume of shots to perform: Vezenkov, Fournier, Dorsey, and Montero. There is only one ball, and Bartzokas, although he has demonstrated years of experience successfully managing egos, will see the margin of minutes on the perimeter reduced. Someone will play less than expected.

The age of the core is another factor to consider. Kostas Papanikolaou is 36, Cory Joseph is 35, and Evan Fournier is 33. Sasha Vezenkov and Nikola Milutinov are around 31. It is a team at its best competitive moment, but not at its best physical moment. The youth of Montero and Ndiaye has a medium-term plan reading, an attempt to gradually rejuvenate without sacrificing the present.

The inherent wear and tear of being champions is an undeniable psychological factor. No team has repeated as champions in the EuroLeague since Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022. All rivals circle the game against the champion in red. Moreover, Olympiacos begins with the emotional hangover of having fulfilled a thirteen-year wait. That pressure, although positive, consumes energy.

The fundamental question is not whether they will reach the playoffs, but how long it will take to fit the new perimeter together and whether the body can withstand a schedule of 38 games plus playoffs at that average age. If they succeed, they will be back in the Final Four. And there, as always, the roster no longer dictates.

Olympiacos starts as the favorite, and there is not much more to discuss. They keep the MVP of the competition, the best rebounder, the MVP of the Final Four, the coach, and nine players from the championship block. They have added two of the best wings available in the market. 

Their full roster includes point guards and shooting guards like Cory Joseph, Jean Montero, Codi Miller-McIntyre, Omiros Netzipoglou, Nikos Plotas, Tyler Dorsey, Tyson Ward, and Evan Fournier. The forwards are Mbaye Ndiaye, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Sasha Vezenkov. The interiors are Tyrique Jones, Donta Hall, and Nikola Milutinov. A solid, experienced block strategically reinforced to face the challenge of maintaining the European crown.

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