Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos attempted to bring three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic to Greece by making a formal proposal to buy out the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets, according to comments made on the “Euro Insiders” podcast and reported by outlets including Reuters and ClutchPoints. The ambitious recruitment effort was swiftly rejected by the NBA franchise, though Giannakopoulos indicated an intention to pursue the Serbian center again.
The Proposal and Rejection by Denver
Giannakopoulos, whose net worth is estimated between $500 million and $1.9 billion according to Reuters, stated that he held direct conversations with Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, regarding a buyout. “I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him,” Giannakopoulos said on the podcast, as reported by ClutchPoints. According to Reuters, the Panathinaikos owner noted that the response from the Denver organization took only a few seconds to dismiss the inquiry.
At the time of the approach, Jokic was operating under a contract running through the 2026-27 NBA season, which includes a player option for 2027-28, per Spotrac data cited by Reuters. Jokic has spent all 11 of his NBA seasons in Denver, leading the franchise to its first NBA championship in 2023 while averaging 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
Contract Status and Future Free Agency Outlook
Jokic enters the 2026-27 NBA season earning $59 million in the final guaranteed year of his current deal, with a player option for $62.8 million for the 2027-28 season, according to ClutchPoints. After declining a three-year contract extension in 2025 and another extension offer this offseason, Jokic is positioned to decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Under NBA collective bargaining rules, that path would make him eligible to sign a five-year, $359.5 million supermax contract extension with the Nuggets, as detailed by ClutchPoints.
Panathinaikos Roster and EuroLeague Context
While Giannakopoulos maintains long-term aspirations of adding elite NBA talent to his Greek powerhouse, Panathinaikos currently competes in the EuroLeague with a roster featuring several former NBA players. According to Reuters, the club’s preseason roster lists players such as Jerian Grant, Juancho Hernangómez, Kendrick Nunn, and Guerschon Yabusele. Last season, Panathinaikos finished seventh out of 20 teams in the EuroLeague with a 22-16 record before falling to Valencia Basket in the first round of the playoffs.
