[REVISION HISTORY]

Panathinaikos signs Sylvain Francisko to three-year deal

Updated 17 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-23 08:21 UTC → 2026-09-10 16:41 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following an emotional farewell to Žalgiris on 30 June, where Sylvain Francisko hinted at a move to French side Villerban, the Greek club kept the player on its radar. A budget cut at ASVEL in mid-July intensified Panathinaikos’s interest, and the club monitored the situation closely as the French guard’s three-year contract with ASVEL became uncertain. Francisko arrived in Athens on 30 July, completed medical examinations at Hospital Ygeia and visited the Telekom Center and T-Center facilities. The club announced his signing on 31 July, confirming a three-year deal. Initial reports valued the contract at roughly €11.5 million in total, including a €1 million transfer fee. Subsequent details released on 2 August indicated a salary of about €3.5 million per season and explicitly omitted an NBA-out clause, binding the player to Panathinaikos for the contract’s duration. Coach Željko Obradović praised the added depth to a roster already featuring Sloukas, Granat and Banti, while Francisko expressed enthusiasm about joining the “green” side and competing in the EuroLeague. ~~Later revelations clarified the complex nature of the transfer.~~ Francisko later disclosed that he was close to signing a guaranteed two-year contract with the Chicago Bulls, but the move stalled because NBA teams were waiting for LeBron James to finalize his own future. Because Francisko faced a contract release deadline of 20 July, he was forced to commit to Panathinaikos. By the time James signed his deal four days after that deadline, the window for the Chicago move had closed. In August 2026, Francisko provided further context regarding his departure from ASVEL Villeurbanne, citing financial uncertainty and complications with the club’s financial regulators. He described the situation involving two negative responses from the auditing body as “scary” and credited Tony Parker with helping to facilitate his exit.

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