Kostas Papanikolaou: Staying in Europe

Papanikolaou agreed Thursday with Olympiacos B.C. of the Greek Basket League on a three-year contract extension, likely ending a bid to return to the NBA.

Several NBA teams had reportedly reached out to Papanikolaou to gauge his interest in a return to the league, where he played from 2014 to 2016 with the Rockets and Nuggets. The offers Papanikolaou might have received from teams likely wouldn't have come close to matching the guaranteed money the forward received from the Greek club, so he ultimately felt it was best for him to stick in his home country. Papanikolaou will now be under contract with Olympiacos through the 2020-21 season, but his deal could include an opt clause that would allow him to pursue an NBA return if he so chooses.