Panathinaikos owner Giannakopoulos targets Nikola Jokic: “Don’t laugh at all”

Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos is not treating Nikola Jokic as a fantasy. According to TSN, the Greens already made a “serious” offer for the three-time NBA MVP and plan to renew their pursuit in 2027. Yahoo Sports reported that Giannakopoulos doubled down publicly, telling those dismissing the idea: “Don’t laugh at all.”

The timing is deliberate. Jokic has now declined to sign a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive offseason, per reporting from Marc Stein. He was eligible for a four-year deal worth roughly $280 million this summer, CBS Sports reported, and let the window pass — leaving the door technically ajar for anyone bold enough to knock.

Why 2027 is the date that matters

Giannakopoulos is pointing at a specific window. Jokic becomes eligible in July 2027 to sign a five-year, $359.5 million extension with Denver — what would be the largest contract in NBA history, according to TSN and RealGM. Until pen meets paper, Panathinaikos can keep talking.

But the financial gap is the obvious obstacle. No EuroLeague club, including the competition’s biggest spenders, operates anywhere near NBA supermax territory. For context on Panathinaikos’ actual market behaviour: the club recently pursued Isaac Bonga with what BeBasket reported as a “super three-year contract” — real money by European standards, and a fraction of what Jokic would forgo.

Jokic’s own words cut against the dream

Two statements complicate the Athens pitch.

In July 2026, Jokic told reporters: “My idea and desire is to stay in Denver. I’ll probably sign [an extension] next season, the reason is strictly business. I would like to stay in Denver the rest of my career.” ESPN confirmed he reaffirmed his intention to finish his career with the only NBA franchise he has played for.

LIRE AUSSI

Denver Nuggets 2026-27 Roster: Peyton Watson Standoff, Spencer Jones Retained, and a $246M Cap Crisis

28 juil. 2026

Julien Burke

More directly, Jokic said in March 2026 — speaking on a podcast — that he has no plans to return to Europe to play. That statement predates the latest Giannakopoulos comments, and no reporting has indicated he has changed his position.

A familiar pattern in Athens

This is not Giannakopoulos’ first raid on Denver’s roster. In summer 2025, Panathinaikos pursued Nuggets backup centre Jonas Valanciunas aggressively enough that the Denver Post ran an explainer on how a player under NBA contract could even move to Greece. Valanciunas ultimately stayed in Denver, confirming his commitment for 2025-26.

The Bonga case followed a similar arc: strong public offer, extended courtship, no guarantee.

Meanwhile the Nuggets are not standing still. Mile High Sports, citing Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, reported that Denver is “actively pursuing trades to try to strengthen their star’s supporting cast” — the clearest sign the front office understands the stakes of keeping Jokic content.

The realistic read

Giannakopoulos deserves credit for ambition, and EuroLeague clubs have genuinely reshaped the transfer market in recent years — Olympiacos pulled David Jones-Garcia from the San Antonio Spurs and Jean Montero from Valencia this summer. Recruiting a reigning-era MVP at his peak, however, is a different order of magnitude entirely.

For now: Jokic is expected in Denver for 2026-27, with a record extension likely to follow in July 2027. The Panathinaikos interest is real and on the record. Whether it ever becomes a negotiation is another matter.