In 1995, Panathinaikos pulled off a signing that turned Athens into a basketball pilgrimage site. Dominique Wilkins was greeted by 5,000 fans at the airport and 13,000 more at his first practice, given a four-story apartment, a maid, two cars, and a tax exemption, before delivering a EuroLeague title and a Final Four MVP in his one season there. Three decades later, the same franchise’s owner is dreaming about doing it again, except this time, the target isn’t winding down his career. He’s the three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic.

“There is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven’t signed yet, but I will sign next year,” Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos said on Euro Insiders. “It’s Jokic, the best player in the world… People are going to say, ‘Now he’s joking.’ I did make a very serious proposal this year, both to his team and to him. I got a rejection.”

The franchise owner was then asked about the astonishing $300+ million salary that Jokic is expected to make. Interestingly, Giannakopoulos was open to letting everyone in on the intricate details of his own proposal.

“When I asked, he had a certain contract running,” Giannakopoulos continued. “This was his last year. I tried to buy out his last year.”

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However, Panathinaikos’ owner revealed that he wasn’t taken too seriously.

“It took a few seconds to say who, ‘Greece? Where? What? Bye!’ from his team,” Giannakopoulos said before shedding light on his own strategy. “Let’s wait until next year.”

Meanwhile, Jokic’s agent has reportedly confirmed that Giannakopoulos did make a very serious offer to Jokic, according to Athletiko.

Giannakopoulos has been chasing Jokic since at least the previous trade deadline. He could also have been doing so since April 2025. It depends on whether he factored in the player option or not. Currently, Jokic is signed through the 2026-27 season with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.

The Nuggets, for their part, have shown no public concern, even though Jokic has postponed signing a new deal for the second consecutive year. It’s because the Serb has given his front office peace of mind by dispelling every rumor throughout an offseason that saw plenty of star movement around the league.

Earlier this year, Jokic addressed his long-term stay in Denver, saying, “To be honest, I’m going to play basketball until I can’t play it at a high level. I enjoy it and love to play. I care a lot. I think if you don’t care for winning, you’re not supposed to be in this sport.”

In an interview on the X&O’s Chat podcast, Jokic also spoke about his life in Denver. Comments that directly contradict any notion that he is entertaining a European exit. He described finding a life in Colorado that goes well beyond basketball: his children were born there, his routine is built around the city, and he has described the organization’s patience with him as central to his happiness.

This is also not the first time that Giannakopoulos has tried to convince an NBA player to move to Greece. Last summer, Panathinaikos’ owner reportedly tried to take Jokic’s former teammate, Jonas Valanciunas, away from the Nuggets. But that didn’t work out. He played another year in Denver and ended up leaving the Nuggets this summer for the Lithuanian EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas.

Let’s now talk numbers.

Jokic is eligible for a five-year, roughly $359 million supermax extension with Denver beginning in the 2027 offseason. It would be the richest contract in NBA history. A number that a EuroLeague club, one as ambitious as Panathinaikos, can realistically offer. In case you didn’t know, Giannakopoulos has an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion!

Meanwhile, Jokic is in his early 30s and playing the best basketball of his career. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists last season. Apart from the badly underwhelming offseason the Nuggets have had, there isn’t any obvious telltale sign that Jokic wants to move on from Denver.

The Nuggets, struggling financially in the dreadful second apron, have yet to figure out how to navigate the Peyton Watson situation. Retaining him on a qualifying offer will still shoot the team’s tax bill to $112 million. And offering Watson a contract in the $25 million range (as he seeks) will balloon their tax bill to upwards of $231 million.

Denver lost Tim Hardaway, Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown, and Jalen Pickett. They’ve brought in Lonnie Walker IV and Marvin Bagley III, while bringing back Spencer Jones at a steep cost. None of this screams championship contention, and the Nuggets are a worse team compared to last season at this point.

Does Jokic really appear to be in a hurry to leave, though?

If anything, Jokic intends on financially securing himself late into his 30s, and if he were to consider a move away, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Serb retires early instead. Seeing Jokic get emotional after his horse wins a race in Serbia is a sight we’re more likely to see again, instead of one of him in a Panathinaikos jersey.

However, let’s not jump the gun here. Giannakopoulos clearly said, “Let’s wait for next year.” This extension might not be as straightforward as Denver anticipates.