NBA Rumors: The owner of a European team longs for Nikola Jokic
Dimitris Giannakopoulos, owner of Panathinaikos, has stated that he will do everything possible to bring the Serbian center to Greece
The Denver Nuggets have been labeled as one of the major losers of the NBA summer market, with projections indicating a possible step back for the team in the Western Conference during the upcoming season. This situation has caused Dimitris Giannakopoulos, owner of Panathinaikos B.C., to publicly express his interest in Nikola Jokic again and his intention to do everything possible to convince him to leave the NBA.
In statements to the Serbian media Mozzart Sport, Giannakopoulos reaffirmed his desire to acquire the center from the Nuggets and assured that he is willing to make all the necessary efforts to bring him to Greece.
Giannakopoulos wants Jokic at Panathinaikos
“For me, I stopped watching the NBA the day Jordan stopped dribbling the ball. I started watching the NBA a bit again when Jokic arrived there. I think he is among the ten best players of all time. I would love to see him in the Panathinaikos jersey and I will do everything I can to try to make it happen,” said Giannakopoulos.
The owner of Panathinaikos considers Jokic one of the ten best players in history and has publicly maintained his desire to see him play for the Greek team. His intention is to present an offer that could convince one of the best players in modern NBA history to continue his career in Greece.
Jokic may decide his future next summer
Jokic's contract includes a salary of $59.033 million for the 2026-27 season and a player option of $62.841 million for 2027.
The Serbian center will be able to become a free agent next summer when he turns 32 years old. At that time, he will have the option to decline his player option of $62.8 million to test the market, or alternatively, sign a supermax five-year extension with Denver worth approximately $350 million, which would be about $70 million per season.
The three-time NBA MVP has already surpassed $300 million in professional earnings on the court, although it seems highly unlikely that he would forfeit a single contract whose value would exceed everything he has earned up to that point in his NBA career.
The “politics” could complicate his exit from the NBA
Despite his belief that he can present an offer capable of convincing Jokic, Giannakopoulos also believes that there are factors that could hinder the attempt to bring the Serbian to Europe.
Specifically, the owner of Panathinaikos thinks that “politics” could become an obstacle, as the NBA might not “allow” one of the faces of the competition to leave the league to end his career playing abroad.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Rumores NBA: El propietario de un equipo europeo anhela a Nikola Jokic
