Panathinaikos Completes Major Signing: Sylvain Francisco Joins the Roster
Following two months of discussions and five days of intensive negotiations, the Greens have reached an agreement with ASVEL. The French guard is set to sign a three-year deal worth approximately 10.5 million euros.
Panathinaikos completed one of the biggest deals of the summer in European basketball this Wednesday, reaching an agreement to sign Sylvain Francisco from ASVEL. According to SDNA, the French guard was the club's primary target from the outset and will fill the final remaining spot on Zeljko Obradovic's roster.
Negotiations between the parties lasted for about two months but entered a high-intensity phase over the last five days. Panathinaikos capitalized on the uncertainty surrounding ASVEL's financial situation, as the club failed to provide the required funding guarantees to French authorities, a development that also caused concern among the team's players.
Tony Parker, the owner of ASVEL, initially resisted releasing Francisco, but Dimitris Giannakopoulos increased pressure to fulfill Obradovic's request for the point guard position. Following several days of talks, Parker consented to the deal, which is valued at 10.5 million euros.
Francisco, who was voted the best point guard in the EuroLeague last season, is expected to sign a three-year contract earning over 3.5 million euros per season. Reports suggest he was persuaded by the strong French presence at Panathinaikos, as Mathias Lessort, Guerschon Yabusele, and Moustapha Fall pressured him to join. The guard excelled with Zalgiris Kaunas over the past two years, averaging 15.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in the EuroLeague last season.
The player's desire was a key factor in finalizing the move. Francisco held a contract at ASVEL worth about five million euros per season, but Panathinaikos made it clear they were not prepared to match that figure to maintain locker room balance. The Frenchman agreed to waive a significant portion of his salary to move to Athens and secure a stable contract.
The sale of Vassilis Toliopoulos to Aris also facilitated the move, with Panathinaikos receiving approximately one million euros for a player they had purchased for only 30,000 euros a year earlier. Additionally, the budget space cleared by Cedi Osman's departure allowed the club to complete the signing.
Panathinaikos concludes the transfer window with an impressive series of moves, having already added Guerschon Yabusele, Isaac Bonga, Branko Badio, and Moustapha Fall to their ranks.
