Nikola Jokic stirred up plenty of chatter this summer by deciding to play another season without putting pen to paper on a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets.
The three-time NBA most valuable player has repeatedly said he wants to finish his career in Denver. Still, the lack of a signed deal leaves some uncertainty hanging over the franchise and its star center.
Most of the talk has centered on what free agency might look like inside the NBA. One outsider sees a different possibility. Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, the Greek billionaire who owns powerhouse club Panathinaikos, has made no secret of his interest in bringing Jokic to Europe.
Speaking on the Euro Insiders podcast, Giannakopoulos said he already approached both Jokic and the Nuggets about buying out the remaining years of the big man’s current deal. That contract runs two years and is worth $121.8 million, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. The offer was turned down.
Giannakopoulos made clear he is not finished trying.
“And the one player who is a dream of mine, who I haven’t signed but I will sign next year. … It’s Jokić! It’s the best player in the world! … People are going to say, ‘OK, now he’s joking,'” Giannakopoulos said.
“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 of a contract. … This was his last year. I tried to buy out his last year. They didn’t even — I mean, it took a few seconds [for the Nuggets] to say, ‘Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye. But, let’s wait until next year.”
The comments paint a picture of a wealthy owner chasing a long-shot fantasy. Yet people around the NBA have occasionally wondered whether Jokic might one day return to Europe to play closer to his roots in Serbia.
Jokic’s attachment to home is no secret. One of his MVP trophies was handed to him in Serbia on a day when he had been out riding his horses. While the center has given every indication that his NBA future remains in Denver, Giannakopoulos is hoping a door stays open.
Even if Jokic ever warmed to the idea of playing overseas later in his career, leaving during his prime would be a steep climb. Next summer the Nuggets can offer him a record five-year extension worth $360 million. Turning that down for a move to Greece would require an extraordinary financial package.
European salaries sit in a completely different range. Last season the highest-paid player on the continent earned $5.6 million. Panathinaikos itself paid former NBA guard Kendrick Nunn $5.3 million, the second-highest figure in European basketball. Jokic is expected to command more than $70 million annually in the NBA. Closing that gap looks nearly impossible.
For now the story provides interesting summer noise. It also hands Jokic a bit of extra leverage as he continues to push the Nuggets to keep building a championship roster around him.
The Serbian star has built a reputation as one of the most skilled and unselfish players in the league. His ability to score, pass and rebound at an elite level has carried Denver to a title and multiple deep playoff runs. That production explains why so many teams, even one across the ocean, would love to have him.
Giannakopoulos has shown a willingness to spend aggressively to raise the profile of Panathinaikos. Signing a player of Jokic’s caliber would instantly transform the club’s standing. Whether the money and circumstances ever align remains highly doubtful.
Jokic has one more year left on his current deal before unrestricted free agency becomes a real option. The Nuggets will almost certainly move quickly to lock him up once the calendar turns. Until then, the occasional European rumor is likely to keep circulating.
Most observers still expect the center to stay put. His loyalty to Denver, combined with the massive contracts available in the NBA, makes a departure seem remote.
That has not stopped Giannakopoulos from dreaming out loud and promising another attempt next year.
