The next day at Olympiakos: Vezenkov, Slukas and… Milutinov

The 2022/23 season will go down in history as one of the most successful in the history of Olympiakos. Giorgos Bartzokas’ team completed it by emphatically winning ALL three domestic titles, Super Cup, Cup and championship in a row. At the same time, he played excellent basketball, finished first in the regular season of the Euroleague and reached the fourth European championship, but Yule’s basket deprived him 3” before the end of the final in the Final 4 of Kaunas.

The new season brings even greater challenges for the “red and whites”, but until then they have several “hot potatoes” to manage. Although most of the core is bound by contracts and the presence of Giorgos Bartzokas is a guarantee, the Piraeus have to face some serious issues, the outcomes of which will affect the rest of the planning.

First and foremost, his Sasha Vezenkov. The Euroleague MVP is hearing the NBA Sirens louder than ever. The Kings they want him, they’re watching him, every major player on the team, from the general manager to the coach, has come to see him in person, and the threat of him leaving for Sacramento is more visible than ever. A few days after the draft (6/22), the Kings are expected to submit their final offer to Vezenkov, from which a lot will be decided. The amount of the offer, essentially, will show whether and how much is calculated by the Kings for the new season, since it is clear that Vezenkov does not intend to go to the NBA to have… a decorative role. Sacramento, based on what is circulating in the US, intends to allocate a part of the mid-level exception (which is 12 million euros) or the two-year exception for the offer to the ace of Olympiakos. It is estimated (because nothing is certain) that their proposal will certainly be over 4 million and may even reach 9-10 million dollars per year. Please note, however, that this amount is not “net” (since there is a tax paid by the players in the USA), while it should also be paid the nba-out to Olympiakos, which is said to be 1.5 million. It is recalled that Vezenkov has signed an extension until 2025 and in case he doesn’t leave for the NBA, he will continue 100% at Olympiakos. The issue is expected to be finally clarified by the beginning of July at the latest and if Vezenkov leaves, then the Piraeus will be forced to move for a replacement having a significant amount available, around 3 million euros (from the nba-out and the contract intended for the Bulgarian international).

Unlike the Vezenkov case, which does not depend on Olympiakos but on the moods of the Kings and the player, in the hands of the doubles are two crucial contract renewals, those of Kostas Sloukas and his Kostas Papanikolaou. The latter is considered a given that he will remain and close his career at the port, but the case of the former is more complicated. The international guard wants his role in the team to be recognized competitively (it is true that he would like to play more) and to have a very good contract, which may be the last very long one in his career. For the 33-year-old ace there are suitors abroad, but he will listen to Olympiakos first. Soon there will be the crucial contact with the Angelopoulos brothers and the matter will be closed, one way or another.

As for the rest of the roster, the Fall (2025), McKissick (2025) and Walkup (2027) they have signed extensions for months, with the last one – indeed – counting from the new season as a Greek and not taking a foreigner’s place. He also has a contract Giannoulis Larentzakiswith whom there may be discussions for an extension, while O. is also committed Michalis Lountzis, which raised his stock in the playoffs. For Isaiah Canaan there is a good climate for him to renew, which he himself clearly wants, while on the contrary it will be difficult for the Alec Peters and Joel Boloboi, despite their good presence in the finals. THE Tarik Black he lost points with his absence in the final stretch of the season due to injury and if he doesn’t stay as the third center on a contract similar to this year’s, then it is very likely that there will be a move to acquire a tall man who will also play in the “4”.

As far as transfers are concerned, everything revolves around him Nikola Milutinov. The return of the Serbian center is close, although there is still no financial agreement, but it is estimated that the golden ratio will be found. After all, it is a strong desire from both sides to cooperate again. The rest of the moves will depend on the outcome of the Vezenkov and Sluka cases. In the good scenario, that both will remain and in combination with the Hellenization of Walkup, Olympiacos will have a lot of freedom to move for its reinforcement. The budget is expected to be slightly increased compared to last season, but without excesses, since the Angelopoulos brothers have proven that they know the recipe for creating strong teams without huge budgets.