Nikola Jokic’s name is back in the rumor mill, but this latest buzz is the kind the Denver Nuggets can file under “not worth losing sleep over.”
Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos BC in Athens, Greece, said on the “Euro Insiders” podcast that he already made a run at Jokic and plans to try again next offseason. Giannakopoulos didn’t exactly hide the dream.
“There is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven't signed yet, but I will sign next year. It's Jokic, the best player in the world," Giannakopoulos said (via BasketNews).
"... This year, I tried to make a proposal. ...
People are going to say, 'OK, now he's joking'. I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him.
I got a rejection. ... Let's wait until next year."
He also said, “There is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven’t signed yet, but I will sign next year. It’s Jokic, the best player in the world… I tried to buy out the last year of his…”
That kind of quote will turn heads, especially with Jokic already a topic of speculation after turning down a contract extension in each of the past two offseasons. But this particular angle doesn’t feel like one the Nuggets need to panic about.
Jokic’s next financial leap is the real story here. By passing on those extensions, he has positioned himself for a massive deal in the 2027 offseason, when he becomes eligible for a contract worth around $360 million over five years.
That would be the biggest contract in NBA history. The idea of him walking away from that to sign in Greece?
Not happening.
No matter what Panathinaikos could offer, Jokic is not leaving the NBA. The only Denver-related concern that still makes sense is the possibility of him eyeing another NBA team next summer if the 2026-27 season goes sideways for the Nuggets. This Panathinaikos pursuit, though, is not the one that should keep the franchise up at night.
Still, Giannakopoulos deserves credit for swinging big. And maybe, down the road, when Jokic is closer to the finish line of his career, the idea becomes more realistic.
For now, though, the timing is everything. After his next contract, the conversation could be revisited.
Before that? Not much to see here.
Yes, NBA players have made the move to EuroLeague clubs before. But not like this. None of the notable names who crossed over did it while in their prime the way Jokic is right now.
The closest comparison is Wilkins, who left the NBA for Panathinaikos. Even that move came much later in his career. So while the attempt is interesting, the conclusion is simple: Jokic is not following that path, at least not yet.
In Other News...
Damian Lillard Trade Still Defines Where The Blazers Are Headed
The Damian Lillard era in Portland ended the way so many franchise pivots do, with a trade that was years in the making and impossible to separate from the teams larger direction. After spending so long trying to build around him, the Trail Blazers finally sent Lillard to Milwaukee in 2023, taking back a package that signaled a new phase for the roster and a willingness to move on from the old core rather than keep chasing it.
What has made the deal linger is how quickly the basketball ecosystem around it shifted, with Lillards time in Milwaukee producing its own new chapter before Portland found itself back in familiar territory with both Lillard and Jrue Holiday in the picture. It has created a strange full-circle feel for the Blazers, one that keeps the trade at the center of any conversation about where the franchise went, what it gained, and how much of that old partnership still hangs over the present. [Read more 🡒]
Damian Lillards Portland Return Just Got More Complicated
Damian Lillard is gearing up for an NBA return in the 2026-27 season after missing the previous year with a ruptured Achilles, and the comeback conversation in Portland is already taking shape. The Trail Blazers, who recently acquired Ja Morant, are expected to make Lillard a priority when he is ready to play again, a reminder that his place in the franchise picture remains a major part of the plan.
Lillard has reportedly been putting in the work this offseason to give himself the best shot at making the return count, even as questions linger about his age and injury history. For Portland, the challenge is less about whether Lillard still matters and more about how to balance that reality with a roster that has changed around him, leaving his next chapter with the team very much in motion. [Read more 🡒]
The Blazers Trade That Still Shapes Portland Right Now
More than a decade later, one old trade still sits at the center of how Portland thinks about its roster. In 2012, the Trail Blazers sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets and brought back Sean Williams, Mehmet Okur, and the first-round pick that became Damian Lillard, the franchise-defining guard who went on to become the teams all-time leading scorer and carry Portland to multiple playoff appearances.
Lillards eventual trade to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 did not close the book on that deal so much as extend its reach. The Blazers have kept building around the assets and movement that followed, adding pieces such as Toumani Camara, Jrue Holiday, Malcolm Brogdon and Deni Avdija, along with future pick swaps that still shape what Portland can do next. [Read more 🡒]