Panathinaikos' owner says he tried to pull Nikola Jokic out of the NBA early, but Denver shouldn't let that happen.
Nikola Jokic is not leaving the Denver Nuggets for Europe, but that did not stop one of the biggest clubs on the continent from taking a real swing at him.
Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos went public with the fact that he made a serious offer to buy out the final year of Jokic's contract this summer, hoping to bring the star center to Greece.
Denver said no almost right away, which is exactly what anyone would expect.
Still, the situation is a small reminder that Jokic's future is going to hang over the franchise until he signs his next deal.
A Bold Offer
Giannakopoulos did not hide what he tried to do, and he was upfront about how fast Denver turned him down.
He confirmed he approached both Jokic and the team, and he plans to come back with another push when Jokic can actually become a free agent.
"I did make a very serious proposal this year both to his team and to him," Giannakopoulos said.
The numbers explain why the Nuggets did not blink. Jokic just wrapped a season where he averaged a 27.7-point triple-double, which is the sort of production that makes him the best player in the league on most nights.
No buyout offer from overseas is going to change how Denver feels about the face of its franchise.
He is under contract for two more seasons, with a player option for the 2027-28 campaign, so Denver holds all the leverage and controls the situation completely at this stage.
The whole idea of a buyout was always a long shot, since a healthy Jokic in his prime is the last player any smart team would let walk for cash.
What the offer really shows is how badly a club with money will chase greatness when it thinks there is even a sliver of a chance.
It is almost a backhanded compliment that a European giant would even dream this up, though Jokic has shown no interest in leaving Denver.
What This Means for Denver
Jokic is committed to Denver, but a run like the one Panathinaikos is making hints at the outside interest that will only grow if the Nuggets slip.
That puts pressure on the front office to keep a real contender around him.
Denver spent the summer adding depth, bringing back Spencer Jones and taking a low-risk flier on Lonnie Walker IV, while leaning on Jamal Murray and his 25.4 points per game as the second star.
Keep Jokic surrounded by enough talent to chase titles, and the interest from Europe stays just that.
The real focus is making sure Jokic never has a reason to think about leaving in the first place, and that comes down to winning.
As long as the Nuggets keep giving him a shot at another title, stories like this one will stay fun rumors rather than genuine threats.
