The Nikola Jokic rumor machine is already warming up, and it took almost no time at all.
Denver Nuggets fans knew the chatter would start building after Jokic chose to delay signing his contract extension again, but the latest twist comes from an unexpected place. In a sit-down interview with the Euro Insiders, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos said he made a serious push for Jokic and called the Denver star his dream target.
“The one player which is a dream of mine and I haven't signed, I will sign next year,” Giannakopoulos said. When the hosts tried to figure out who he meant, he cut right to it: “It's Jokic!
The best basketball player in the world!” Giannakopoulos then added, “I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him.
I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year contract... this was his last year, I tried to buy out his last year.”
He also described how quickly the answer came back. “ It took a few seconds to say, who?
Greece? Bye, maybe later,” Giannakopoulos said.
The claim is wild enough on its own, but Giannakopoulos insisted he was not joking. Still, unless someone is prepared to pay more than the projected $359.5 million over five years, the dream is going to stay a dream for now.
Jokic has said he wants to remain in Denver, and the expectation here is that he will stick to that. The delay in signing looks tied more to money than anything else, since each season he waits only raises the amount he can command.
Even so, the bigger issue for the Nuggets is impossible to ignore. Their roster-building problems are already hanging over the franchise, and without a major reset, those problems are only going to deepen. That kind of pressure is exactly what eventually pushed Giannis Antetokounmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks, who opted to reset and rebuild and sent him to a destination where he is likely to extend his contract with the Miami Heat.
That does not seem like the path for Jokic. But if Denver keeps struggling to put a championship-caliber team around him, the noise is only going to get louder. The rumors about him teaming up with other stars by declining his player option are coming, and they’ll only gain steam if the Nuggets stumble early or get hit by injuries again this season.
In Other News...
Thunder Get An Immediate Test Against Spurs On Opening Night
The NBA has already given Oklahoma City a headline-worthy start to the 2027-28 season, sending the Thunder to San Antonio for an Oct. 20 Opening Night meeting with the Spurs. The game will air on NBC and Peacock with an 8:30 p.m. CT tip-off, putting two of the leagues most intriguing young teams in the spotlight from the jump.
It also gives the Thunder an immediate measuring stick against a Spurs group they just saw in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, a series that underscored how close both franchises are to the top of the West. With both clubs expected to be contenders again, this is the kind of early-season matchup that can carry a little extra weight long after opening night. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Fans Finally Know How OKCs New Roster Will Be Tested Early
The Thunders reshaped roster now has a clear early-season measuring stick, with the 2026-27 schedule bringing immediate tests on both ends of opening week. Oklahoma City opens on the road against the San Antonio Spurs before returning home for a matchup with the Denver Nuggets, a quick pair of games that should offer an early read on how well the new pieces are coming together after a summer of trades and draft additions.
There is also a showcase spot waiting a little deeper into the calendar, with a Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves giving the Thunder another high-profile stage. For a team that spent the offseason changing the look of its roster, these dates will matter because they come before much of the league settles into its rhythm, leaving Oklahoma City with little time to ease into whatever this new version is supposed to become. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren Just Put New Pressure On The Thunders Future
The Thunders postseason ended with a harsh reminder of how thin the margins can be when a team is trying to climb from contender to championship threat. Oklahoma City was pushed out by the Spurs in a seven-game series, and Chet Holmgren came away owning his part in the loss after a series in which his impact never quite matched the scale of the matchup.
Holmgrens struggles are stirring a bigger conversation around the Thunders future, especially because the center is already tied to a max contract and the franchise has to keep an eye on how its money is committed. In the wake of the series, some around the league are wondering whether his long-term fit could come under pressure if those same issues keep showing up in the biggest games. [Read more 🡒]