Panathinaikos signs French guard Sylvain Francisco from ASVEL
Panathinaikos completed the transfer of French point guard Sylvain Francisco, paying a €1 million buyout to ASVEL (Lyon‑Villeurbanne) that was forced to sell because of severe financial problems. The club offered a three‑year contract worth roughly €10.5 million, which translates to about €3.5 million per season.
Francisco arrived in Athens shortly after midnight on 30 July 2026 and is undergoing the required medical examinations before the official announcement. His EuroLeague record from the 2025‑26 season includes 42 games with averages of 16.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists. The signing closes Panathinaikos’ summer roster overhaul and pushes the team’s total budget for 2026‑27 beyond €60 million, marking the highest financial outlay in the club’s history.
The deal was facilitated by a €1 million offer, far below the €5 million figure previously expected for the player’s release, and was accepted after the player expressed a strong preference to join the Greek champions.
Entities: ASVEL · ASVEL (Lyon‑Villeurbanne) · ASVEL Basket · EuroLeague · Nick Vayer‑Baam · Panathinaikos · Panathinaikos B.C. · Silven Francisko · Sylvain Francisco · Sylvain Francisko · Sylvain François · Toni Parker
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] Panathinaikos is interested in signing Silven Francisko. (multiple sources)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Panathinaikos and Hapoel Tel Aviv have shown interest in Russell Westbrook.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] S. Francisco will earn about 3.5 million euros per year at Panathinaikos.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Panathinaikos paid 450,000 euros to ASVEL for S. Francisco's buyout.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Sacramento Kings have stated they have no intention to re‑sign Russell Westbrook.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] S. Francisco averaged 16.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in the 2025‑26 EuroLeague season.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A former NBA coach advised Miami Heat that Russell Westbrook is difficult to coach.
- [● 2 SOURCES] ASVEL's project for S. Francisco collapsed, prompting his transfer.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] S. Francisco played 42 EuroLeague games in the 2025‑26 season, averaging 16.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] No NBA team has shown concrete interest in Russell Westbrook as of the report.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Panathinaikos signed S. Francisco after ASVEL's project collapsed.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Sacramento Kings have no intention of re‑signing Russell Westbrook.