Panathinaikos owner reveals rejected bid for Nuggets star Nikola Jokic
Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos has revealed his club made a serious but unsuccessful bid to buy Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic out of his NBA contract and intends to pursue him again in free agency next summer.
The Greek businessman told the Euro Insiders podcast that he submitted a formal proposal to both the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and his current franchise.
However, the audacious move was swiftly rejected by the 2023 NBA champions.
“It took a few seconds for the Nuggets to say, ‘Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,'” Giannakopoulos said.
“But let’s wait until next year.”
Eyeing a future move
The Serbian international currently has two seasons remaining on his existing NBA deal, which includes a player option for the final year.
This clause affords the 29-year-old the freedom to enter unrestricted free agency next summer.
Despite the lucrative interest from Athens, the commanding center has previously stated his desire to remain in Colorado for the entirety of his career.
He is reportedly delaying a $278m maximum extension for financial reasons, as waiting until July 2027 could make him eligible for a record-breaking five-year, $359.5m contract.
A quiet off-season in Denver
Giannakopoulos is no stranger to ambitious recruitment drives, having previously attempted to lure veteran center Jonas Valanciunas away from Denver.
The Lithuanian ultimately departed the Nuggets during the current off-season, opting to join EuroLeague powerhouse Zalgiris Kaunas instead.
It marks a relatively subdued free agency period for the Western Conference franchise.
They recently signed veteran Marvin Bagley III and matched an offer sheet from the Oklahoma City Thunder to retain reserve wing Spencer Jones.
The front office now faces the task of navigating restricted free agency negotiations with promising young forward Peyton Watson to keep their expensive core intact.