A Greek Billionaire Tried to Buy Out Jokić — and Got Laughed Off

Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos wants Nikola Jokić in a Greek League jersey, and he says he already took a real swing at it. Speaking on the Euro Insiders podcast, the billionaire claimed he made what he called a serious proposal this summer to buy out the final year of Jokić's contract — the three-time MVP is on a two-year, $121.8 million deal with a player option for 2027-28 — and that Denver shot it down almost instantly. His plan now: circle back next year when Jokić could hit free agency.

By Giannakopoulos's own telling, the Nuggets didn't so much negotiate as hang up. He described their response as a bemused brush-off — essentially "who, Greece, where, what, bye" — before adding that he'd simply wait until next summer to try again. He framed Jokić as the one dream signing he hasn't landed yet, and promised he will.

Let's be honest about what this is: a very rich man daydreaming out loud. The economics aren't close. The highest-paid player in Europe last season made $5.6 million (Hapoel Tel Aviv's Vasilje Mičić), and Panathinaikos's own Kendrick Nunn was second at $5.3 million. Jokić will command something north of $70 million a year in the NBA. That's not a gap you paper over.

Why It Won't Happen (Yet)

There's a real record extension coming — a reported five-year, $360 million offer Denver can put on the table next summer. No European club on the planet matches that math, and Jokić has repeatedly said he intends to finish his career with the Nuggets. His well-documented love of home in Serbia keeps the Europe-someday chatter alive, but someday and next season are very different things. Leaving in his prime to take a pay cut of tens of millions a year isn't a decision a smart player makes.

If anything, this is leverage. Every headline about foreign suitors is another quiet nudge for Denver to keep building a contender around their franchise center. That's the subplot fantasy managers should actually track — not the fantasy of Jokić in a Greek uniform.

The Fantasy Fallout

For dynasty and redraft purposes, this changes nothing. Jokić remains the safest first-overall pick in fantasy basketball entering 2026-27, and no buyout drama should move him a single spot on our board. Treat the Panathinaikos story as pure offseason theater and hold with total confidence. The only real question mark is when he signs that extension in Denver — not whether he's suddenly playing on another continent.