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 club’s owner is dreaming about doing it again, except this time, the target isn’t winding down his career. He’s the reigning three-time MVP, Nikola Jokic.

Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos made his intentions known, saying:

“There is one player who remains a dream of mine, whom I haven’t signed yet, but I will sign next year,” Giannakopoulos said via Euro Insiders. “It’s Jokic, the best player in the world. This year, I made a very serious offer to both his team and him. I tried to buy out the last year of his contract, but I was rejected. Let’s wait for next year.”

Giannakopoulos has been publicly chasing Jokic since at least April 2025. 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. Jokic has “given his front office peace of mind by dispelling every rumor” throughout a season that saw plenty of star movement around the league.

Nikola 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 spoke about his life in Denver. Comments that directly contradict any notion 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.

The Serbian is eligible for a five-year, roughly $359 million supermax extension with Denver beginning in the 2027 offseason. A number that a EuroLeague club, even one as ambitious as Panathinaikos, could realistically offer. Jokic, still just entering his early 30s and playing the best basketball of his career.

Giannakopoulos said “let’s wait for next year.” Jokic has already answered that wait with his own words — a competitive mindset that shows no signs of slowing, a stated peace with his life in Denver, and a supermax extension on the table that no European offer can match. The dream in Athens remains exactly that: a dream, kept alive by a passionate owner who isn’t wrong that Jokic would be the greatest signing in EuroLeague history — just not one with any real path to happening in the timeline he’s describing.