By Nikos Varlas/ info@eurohoops.net
Although Nikos Pappas had initially declined the proposal of Panathinaikos for a two-year contract, today (6/7) the player accepted the terms of the club, according to Eurohoops sources.
While Pappas has basically agreed with the offer of Panathinaikos, this doesn’t mean there’s a deal between the two sides. After all, the management of the club has just been informed of this development and Greens’ owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos has yet to take a final decision.
Panathinaikos head coach Xavi Pascual hasn’t placed Pappas on a particularly high position on his list, especially regarding next season’s plan and the distribution of playing time and roles among players. On the other hand, Giannakopoulos wants to keep Pappas with the club.
If Panathinaikos signs a new contract with Pappas then this might greatly affect any potential deal with Finnish guard Petteri Koponen. With Pappas on board, it will be extremely difficult for Panathinaikos – both financially and in regards to the balanced distribution of roles within the team – to proceed with acquiring Koponen.
There’s also the case of Ioannis Papapetrou on the table. Panathinaikos is interested in the Greek forward who last played for Olympiacos but the player has yet to make a definite choice regarding his future. If Panathinaikos ultimately signs both Pappas and Papapetrou, there will be a complete change of strategy ahead of the new season and the budget for foreign players is expected to be decreased.
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