Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, the Greek businessman who owns Panathinaikos Basketball Membership in Athens, mentioned he made a “proposal” to the Denver Nuggets to purchase Nikola Jokic out of the ultimate season of his present NBA contract and believes he can signal Jokic away subsequent summer season.
“Persons are going to say, ‘OK, now he is joking,'” Giannakopoulos advised the “Euro Insiders” podcast. “I did make a really critical proposal this 12 months each to his crew and to him. I received a rejection. I do know that he has yet one more 12 months of a contract.”
Jokic has two seasons and $121.8 million left on his present contract, however the second season is a participant possibility, giving him the liberty to enter unrestricted free company subsequent summer season.
He turned eligible to signal a four-year, $278 million max extension June 14 however has declined to commit, stating that his “concept and want” is to remain in Denver for the remainder of his profession however that he plans to attend to signal an extension for monetary causes.
Jokic, 31, will grow to be eligible to signal a five-year, $359.5 million extension with the Nuggets in July 2027, a contract that will be the biggest in NBA historical past, based on ESPN NBA entrance workplace insider Bobby Marks.
Giannakopoulos mentioned that the Nuggets declined his provide shortly, however he made it clear that he’ll pursue Jokic once more as soon as he’s a free agent and advised the podcast hosts to name Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, and ask whether or not he actually made a critical proposal this summer season.
“It took a couple of seconds [for the Nuggets] to say, ‘Who? Greece? The place? What? Bye,'” Giannakopoulos mentioned. “However let’s wait till subsequent 12 months.”
Giannakopoulos tried to lure veteran NBA middle Jonas Valanciunas from the Nuggets final summer season and satisfied some {that a} deal was within the works, resulting in confusion earlier than Valanciunas finally performed out the season in Denver.
Valanciunas left the Nuggets this summer season for Lithuanian EuroLeague powerhouse Zalgiris Kaunas, a minor word in what has been a quiet free company interval for the Nuggets.
They added veteran middle Marvin Bagley III and retained reserve wing Spencer Jones, matching a two-year, $12 million provide sheet he signed with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. The Nuggets have in any other case stored an costly roster intact whereas they navigate ongoing restricted free company negotiations with Peyton Watson.
