Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) after the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena.
Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos is one of the more aggressive businessmen in the EuroLeague when it comes to pursuing top talents for his basketball club, and he made it clear recently that his dream is to add Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic to his team.
“There is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven't signed yet, but I will sign next year,” Giannakopoulos said on the Euro Insiders podcast recently. “It's (Nikola) Jokic! The best player in the world. Don't laugh at all. If I don't sign Jokic, I'm not going anywhere.”
Giannakopoulos stated that he contacted Jokic's representation this summer in attempts to not only buy him out of his NBA contract but also subsequently sign him to a deal with the Greek club.
In the aftermath of Giannakopoulos' comments coming to light on Monday, Misko Raznatovic, Jokic's agent, told Athletiko in Greece that Panathinaikos did in fact pursue his client this offseason and that what the owner said was true.
Raznatovic did not comment further on the extent of the conversations or anything about Giannakopoulos' pursuit of Jokic other than stating that what was said on the Euro Insiders podcast was factual. Still, Jokic has made it clear he never intends to leave the Nuggets.
The three-time NBA MVP and face of the Nuggets is now 31 and preparing for his 12th year in Denver ahead of the 2026-27 season. In 65 games last season, Jokic averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor and 38.0 percent from 3-point range.
With these numbers, Jokic joined Russell Westbrook as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double in back-to-back seasons.
While Jokic's contract situation has become a topic of conversation in recent offseasons, it does not appear as if he is preparing to leave the NBA for an overseas opportunity. Once again this summer, Jokic opted not to sign an extension with the Nuggets despite being eligible for a four-year, $278 million max deal.
At the time, Jokic told reporters that his “idea and desire” was to remain with the Nuggets for the foreseeable future even though reports indicated that he would not be signing a new contract this summer.
The main reason Jokic is holding off on contract talks now is due to the fact that he will be eligible for a five-year, $359.5 million contract with the Nuggets next offseason. That is a contract that no team overseas, including Panathinaikos, has the ability to match.
Giannakopoulos may hold high interest in luring Jokic to his Greek team, as does virtually every other NBA franchise, but Jokic has nearly 360 million reasons to want to remain with the Nuggets. He claimed he isn't going anywhere, and with this contract extension on the horizon, Jokic's future appeared to be set in Denver.