Грекийн Панатинаикос багийн эзэн Димитриос Яннакопулос NBA-ийн гурван удаагийн MVP Никола Йокичийг багтаа авахаар оролдож, түүний одоогийн гэрээний сүүлийн жилийг худалдаж авах санал тавьсан байна.
Денвер Наггетс энэхүү саналыг шууд хүлээж аваагүй бөгөөд Никола Йокич мэргэжлийн сагсан бөмбөгийн замналаа Денвер Наггетсийн төлөө үргэлжлүүлэх төлөвлөгөөтэй байгаагаа мэдэгдсэн юм. Гэсэн хэдий ч Димитриос Яннакопулос ирэх улиралд түүнийг багтаа элсүүлж чадна гэдэгтээ итгэлтэй хэвээр байгаагаа илэрхийлжээ. Тэрээр Никола Йокичийг 2027-28 оны улирлын 63.8 сая долларын тоглогчийн сонголтоос татгалзуулж, Панатинаикос багтай гэрээ байгуулахыг зорьж байна.
Өнгөрсөн улиралд Никола Йокич NBA-д 27.7 оноо, 12.9 самбараас бөмбөг авалт, 10.7 дамжуулалт дунджилсан үзүүлэлтээр лигийг тэргүүлсэн анхны тоглогч болсон билээ. Тэрээр ирэх улиралд 59 сая долларын цалин авах гэрээтэй байгаа юм. Димитриос Яннакопулос өмнө нь мөн Жонас Валанчюнасыг багтаа элсүүлэхийг оролдож байсан боловч тухайн үед тоглогч NBA-д үлдэхийг сонгосон түүхтэй.
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Nikola Jokić has said that he plans to play with the Denver Nuggets for the remainder of his professional basketball career.
However, that didn’t stop the owner of Panathinaikos Basketball Club from making an offer to the three-time NBA MVP, hoping to sign him away to Athens, Greece.
Dimitrios Giannakopoulos made a “proposal” to Jokić to buy him out of the final season of his current contract with the Nuggets, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater. The Nuggets refused the offer, but Giannakopoulos believes he can convince Jokić to decline his $63.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season and sign him to Panathinaikos B.C.
Last season, Panathinaikos B.C finished second in the Greek Basketball League at 19-5 and seventh in EuroLeague with a 22-16 record.
“There is one player who is my dream and whom I have not signed yet, I will sign him next season: the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic!”
“Don’t laugh. Until I sign him, I’m not going anywhere. This year, I tried to make an offer, ask Misko Raznatovic.
People will say I’m… pic.twitter.com/sRBegDUE8h
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 10, 2026
“”I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him,” Giannakopoulos said on the “Euro Insiders” podcast. “I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year of a contract.”
Last season, Jokić became the first NBA player to lead the league in rebounds and assists, averaging 12.9 boards and 10.7 assists while also scoring 27.7 points per game. He is signed for a $59 million salary next season.
Giannakopoulos, who made his fortune as the founder of Greek pharmaceutical company Vianex, said the Nuggets declined the offer almost immediately.
“It took a few seconds to say, ‘Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,'” Giannakopoulos said. “But let’s wait until next year.”
Jokić previously informed that the Nuggets that he would not sign a contract extension during this offseason. He was eligible for a four-year, $278 million deal. But by waiting until next summer, Jokić can add another year and roughly $80 million more to an extension.
When that point was raised to Giannakopoulos, he dismissed the talk about having to match a reported five-year, $360 million max contract. In his view, the contract he has to surpass to persuade Jokić to Athens is the $64 million player option for 2027-28.
This isn’t the first time that Giannakopoulos attempted to buy a player away from the Nuggets. Last year, he attempted to sign center Jonas Valančiūnas after Denver acquired him in a trade with the Sacramento Kings.
Giannakopoulos offered to buy out the final two years and $20 million remaining on Valančiūnas’ NBA contract, but the 6-foot-11 center decided to play for Denver. Following the season, the Nuggets waived him to avoid paying him $10 million and he signed with Lithuanian club Zalgiris Kaunas.
