Nikola Jokić, Nuggets received offer from Greek team Panathinaikos to buy out final year of contract
sports.yahoo.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Nikola Jokić has expressed his intention to remain with the Denver Nuggets for the rest of his career, despite an offer from Panathinaikos Basketball Club owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos to buy out his contract.
- Giannakopoulos proposed to buy out Jokić’s final contract season and hopes to convince him to decline his $63.8 million player option for 2027-28 to sign with Panathinaikos, but the Nuggets quickly rejected the offer.
- Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP, led the league last season in rebounds and assists while averaging 27.7 points per game, and is signed for a $59 million salary next season without plans to extend his contract this offseason.
- The Nuggets face financial challenges, including a $32 million luxury tax increase and potential difficulties re-signing restricted free agent Peyton Watson, which may impact their roster decisions moving forward.
- This is not Giannakopoulos’s first attempt to lure players from Denver, having previously tried to sign center Jonas Valančiūnas after he was traded to the Nuggets last year.
