Olympiacos and Panathinaikos Build Powerhouse Rosters Ahead of 2026/27 EuroLeague Season

Greek basketball giants Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are preparing for the 2026/27 EuroLeague season with some of the strongest rosters in the competition's history. Both clubs entered last season as clear favorites, with Olympiacos ultimately winning the title while Panathinaikos fell short. This summer, Panathinaikos has been particularly active in the transfer market, aiming to strengthen every position, while Olympiacos has focused on key backcourt reinforcements.

Olympiacos signed Jan Montero from Valencia and Cody Miller-McIntyre from Crvena Zvezda to bolster their guard positions, addressing a long-standing weakness at point guard. They parted ways with several players including Kinan Evans, Monte Morris, Frank Ntilikina, Shaquille McKissic, Alec Peters, and Mostafa Fall. The club is still searching for a backup at the power forward spot and the future of Thomas Walkup remains uncertain. Their current roster features Miller-McIntyre, Walkup, Corey Joseph, Montero, Tyler Dorsey, Gianloulis Larentzakis, Evan Fournier, Tyson Ward, Kostas Papanikolaou, Sasha Vezankov, Nikola Milutinov, Tyrique Jones, and Donte Hall.

Panathinaikos, meanwhile, made significant changes after a disappointing season that saw them miss the EuroLeague Final Four. They parted ways with Argin Atman, TJ Shorts, Vasilis Touliopoulos, Marius Grigonis, Jeddy Osman, and Kenneth Faried. The club welcomed back legendary coach Željko Obradović, who previously led them to five EuroLeague titles. Key signings include Silvain Francisco from Žalgiris/Villeneuve, Branko Badjo from Valencia, Isaac Bonga from Partizan Belgrade, Gershon Yabusele from the NBA, and Mostafa Fall from Olympiacos. Panathinaikos appears to have filled every position except for an additional center, with a roster that currently includes Francisco, Kostas Sloukas, Jerian Grant, Kendrick Nunn, Badjo, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Bonga, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Yabusele, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Juancho Hernangomez, Dinos Mitoglou, Mathias Lessort, and Fall.

Both teams are widely regarded as the top favorites for the upcoming EuroLeague season, with their deep and talented rosters setting the stage for a highly competitive campaign. Further roster moves may still occur before the season begins, particularly for Panathinaikos, which is known for last-minute signings under owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos.

Summary: Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are entering the 2026/27 EuroLeague season with some of the strongest rosters ever assembled, making them the leading favorites for the title. Both clubs have made significant player acquisitions and changes, with Panathinaikos bringing back coach Željko Obradović and reinforcing every position, while Olympiacos focused on strengthening their backcourt. The upcoming season promises intense competition between these Greek basketball powerhouses.

Points: - Olympiacos and Panathinaikos are top favorites for the 2026/27 EuroLeague title with powerful rosters. - Olympiacos signed Jan Montero and Cody Miller-McIntyre to strengthen their guard positions. - Panathinaikos hired Željko Obradović as head coach and signed key players including Gershon Yabusele. - Both teams made multiple roster changes, with Panathinaikos focusing on comprehensive reinforcements. - Olympiacos is still seeking a backup power forward; Panathinaikos may add another center before the season. - The Greek clubs aim to dominate the EuroLeague after contrasting outcomes last season.

Topic: sports israel_relevant: false Entities: {"people": ["Jan Montero", "Cody Miller-McIntyre", "Željko Obradović", "Gershon Yabusele", "Mostafa Fall", "Thomas Walkup", "Sasha Vezankov", "Nikola Milutinov", "Tyrique Jones", "Donte Hall", "Silvain Francisco", "Branko Badjo", "Isaac Bonga", "Nigel Hayes-Davis", "Juancho Hernangomez", "Mathias Lessort"], "organizations": ["Olympiacos", "Panathinaikos", "Valencia", "Crvena Zvezda", "Žalgiris", "Villeneuve", "Partizan Belgrade", "NBA"], "places": ["Greece", "EuroLeague"]}