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Sylvain Francisco came close to making the jump to the NBA during the offseason, holding concrete discussions with multiple franchises before a shifting transaction market closed his window, according to reports in French and international sports media. The French guard, who finished as runner-up for the EuroLeague MVP award following a standout campaign with Zalgiris Kaunas, stated that at least five or six NBA teams offered guaranteed money in free agency, with a particularly strong opportunity involving the Chicago Bulls.
The 28-year-old point guard averaged 16.7 points, 6.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game on .452/.399/.800 shooting splits across 38 EuroLeague appearances for Zalgiris Kaunas. Those numbers put him on the radar of several NBA front offices looking for backcourt scoring and playmaking. However, his prospective move to Chicago was tied to a roster transaction that stalled as the league-wide market froze while teams waited for LeBron James to finalize his free-agency decision.
“Yes, in the NBA, there were openings, at least five or six teams, many on guaranteed two-year contracts,” Francisco told L’Equipe. “I had the opportunity with the Chicago Bulls, but the trade they wanted to make before stalled because in the NBA, everyone was waiting for LeBron’s decision.”
The July Deadline and the LeBron James Factor
The timing ultimately worked against Francisco’s NBA ambitions. Under the terms of his contract clause allowing an exit for the NBA, Francisco faced a hard deadline of July 20 to exercise the option. According to his account, LeBron James signed his contract four days after that deadline passed.
“My deadline to activate my NBA out clause from ASVEL was until July 20, and LeBron signed… four days later,” Francisco explained. “So, that’s where all the teams really started to transfer players, make more trades. It’s a shame. I was a little angry, let’s say. But it’s something I don’t have control over. In the end, it can be a blessing in disguise. I stay in Europe.”
The transaction hold-up prevented the Bulls and other interested suitors from executing the necessary roster maneuvers to clear space and finalize deals for incoming international talent before the strict contractual expiration date.
Landing with Panathinaikos and ASVEL Context
Following the collapsed NBA window and an aborted initial signing with French club ASVEL—which faced well-documented financial scrutiny from French regulatory authorities—Francisco secured his immediate future by inking a deal with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos.
Reflecting on the turbulent summer, Francisco noted that the off-court financial complications at Lyon’s ASVEL were handled entirely by his representatives. “It wasn’t up to me to deal with this situation with ASVEL, so I let my agents take care of that,” he said. Despite the abrupt end to that project, the French national team guard expressed satisfaction in returning to the Greek domestic and EuroLeague landscape with Panathinaikos, where he aims to anchor a roster built for continental contention.
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