Panathinaikos Owner: I Made a Serious Offer for Jokic
SkimNews Take
By publicly floating a buyout the Nuggets would never accept, Panathinaikos converts a guaranteed rejection into a no-cost audition for next summer's free-agent pitch, leveraging the NBA's contractual immovability as free advertising for their European recruitment window.
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- Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, owner of Panathinaikos Basketball Club, said on the "Euro Insiders" podcast that he submitted a "very serious proposal" this year to both the Nuggets and Jokic to buy out the final season of Jokic's contract — and was rebuffed quickly, recalling the Nuggets' response as "Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye."
- Nikola Jokic has two seasons and $121.8 million remaining on his current deal, with the second season a player option that would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Giannakopoulos said he intends to pursue Jokic again once that option window opens.
- Jokic became eligible June 14 for a four-year, $278 million max extension but has declined to commit, telling reporters his "idea and desire" is to stay in Denver for the rest of his career while he waits for a larger deal.
- In July 2027, Jokic would become eligible for a five-year, $359.5 million extension that ESPN's Bobby Marks said would be the largest contract in NBA history.
- Giannakopoulos told podcast hosts to call Jokic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, to verify the seriousness of this summer's proposal.
- Last summer, Giannakopoulos publicly tried to lure Jonas Valanciunas from Denver, a push that created confusion before Valanciunas ultimately played out the season with the Nuggets.
- Valanciunas left Denver this summer for Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas, while the Nuggets added veteran center Marvin Bagley III and retained Spencer Jones by matching a two-year, $12 million offer sheet from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and continue restricted free agency talks with Peyton Watson.
Why it matters: Giannakopoulos isn't a credible bidder for Jokic in any practical sense — the Nuggets' instant dismissal and Jokic's own stated desire to stay in Denver make this a publicity play rather than a realistic poaching threat. But it spotlights just how wide the financial gulf is: the European suitor's proposal couldn't compete with the $359.5 million super-max Jokic could sign in 2027, the largest contract in NBA history.
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