Panathinaikos owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulos said he made a formal proposal to the Denver Nuggets to buy Nikola Jokic out of the final season of his current contract, and believes he can eventually lure the star center to Greece once he becomes a free agent.

"People are going to say, 'Ok, now he's joking,'" Giannakopoulos told the Euro Insiders podcast. "I did make a very serious proposal this year both to his team and to him. I got a rejection. I know that he has one more year of a contract."

Jokic has two years and $121.8 million remaining on his current deal, though the second season is a player option, giving him the ability to reach unrestricted free agency next summer. Jokic became eligible for a four-year, $278 million max extension on June 14 but has chosen not to sign, citing financial reasons while expressing his desire to remain in Denver long term. Jokic will be eligible to sign a five-year, $359.5 million contract with the Nuggets in July 2027, which would set a new NBA record for the largest deal in league history.

Giannakopoulos said the Nuggets rejected his proposal almost immediately, but he intends to pursue Jokic again once he reaches free agency, and encouraged podcast hosts to contact Jokic's agent, Misko Raznatovic, to verify the seriousness of his offer.

"It took a few seconds (for the Nuggets) to say, 'Who? Greece? Where? What? Bye,'" said Giannakopoulos. "But let's wait until next year."

Giannakopoulos previously attempted to sign veteran center Jonas Valanciunas away from Denver last summer, an effort that generated confusion at the time before Valanciunas ultimately finished the season with the Nuggets. Valanciunas has since left the Nuggets for Lithuanian EuroLeague club Zalgiris Kaunas this offseason.

The Nuggets signed veteran center Marvin Bagley III and retained reserve wing Spencer Jones by matching a two-year, $12 million offer sheet from the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason. The Nuggets have largely kept their expensive roster intact while continuing restricted free agency negotiations with Peyton Watson.