NBA experts expressed skepticism over Dimitris Giannakopoulos' attempt to bring Nikola Jokic to Panathinaikos. Despite agent Misko Raznatovic confirming the offer, the massive financial gap remains a barrier, as Jokic stands to earn over $70 million per season with a potential new Denver Nuggets extension.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos may have genuinely tried to bring Nikola Jokic to Athens, but the idea of the three-time NBA MVP actually leaving the Denver Nuggets for the EuroLeague has been met with overwhelming skepticism from the NBA world.
Giannakopoulos recently revealed that he had made a serious offer involving Jokic, with the Serbian superstar's agent Misko Raznatovic subsequently confirming that the Panathinaikos owner's claims were true.
However, once the story reached the United States, the general reaction was largely one of disbelief, with the enormous financial difference between the NBA and European basketball making such a move extremely difficult to imagine.
Jokic is scheduled to earn approximately $59.0 million during the 2026-27 season and has a player option worth around $62.8 million for 2027-28, meaning more than $121 million remains on his current Denver contract.
For perspective, last year Panathinaikos had the biggest budget for player payrolls in the EuroLeague with around €27 million net. While this year they are set to spend even more with new additions, Panathinaikos are yet to reach Jokic's salary in the NBA with their entire team budget.
Dimitris Giannakopoulos
Dimitris Giannakopoulos
Jokic would need to sacrifice enormous NBA money
The situation could become slightly different in the summer of 2027 if Jokic declines his 2027-28 player option, but the financial obstacle would remain enormous.
Rather than leaving for Europe, Jokic has already indicated that he will probably sign a new Nuggets extension in 2027. Waiting until then could reportedly make him eligible for a five-year deal worth approximately $359.5 million.
That would put his potential NBA earnings at more than $70 million per season on average.
Therefore, even Panathinaikos' considerable financial power would be nowhere close to matching what Denver can offer. For Jokic to realistically choose Athens over remaining in the NBA, he would have to willingly accept a massive pay cut worth tens of millions of dollars per year.
There would also have to be a desire from Jokic himself to walk away from the NBA while still operating at an MVP level.
That combination explains why most reactions from the NBA side have effectively dismissed the scenario as unrealistic, even after Raznatovic confirmed that Giannakopoulos' attempt was legitimate.
NBA world reactions:
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