By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Panionios Cosmorama Travel announced the addition of Alexandros Nikolaidis on Wednesday, and also parted ways with George Papas.
Refreshing the backcourt for the team coached by Ilias Zouros, the Mandoulides youth product carries the experience of four Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games stemming from his spell with Olympiacos, seven Basketball Champions League appearances with Lavrio Megabolt, and nine features in the FIBA Europe Cup with Maroussi. However, he is a newcomer in the second tier of Euroleague Basketball. He formally represented Greece across all junior national teams, and debuted at the senior level during the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.
Suiting up for Maroussi Chery in the 2025-26 Regular Season of Greece’s Stoiximan GBL, 23-year-old Nikolaidis tallied 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 0.2 steals per contest.
The former Greek League champion with Olympiacos, 27-year-old Papas went the opposite direction, from Panionios to Maroussi, inking a contract for the remainder of the season. Introducing himself in EuroCup, the former Monmouth standout averaged 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.1 blocks per contest over nine appearances, including three starts. Also featured in ten domestic fixtures, he put up 5.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.
At 1-10 in Group B of the EuroCup Regular Season, Panionios is four games away from a ticket to the Eighthfinals with only seven outings remaining. The 1-9 GBL tally ranks last, with Maroussi sitting 2-7 among other teams in danger of relegation.