By Aris Barkas / barkas@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos is the third team that inquired about the possibility of signing Mateusz Ponitka, after Baskonia and Virtus Bologna. The Polish forward has a contract with Italian club Reggio Emilia, however, he can opt out after the 22nd of November if there’s an offer from a EuroLeague team.
The player was offered to Panathinaikos early in the summer, but at that point getting a small forward was not a priority. At this point, however, and after a stellar Eurobasket tournament, the Greeks are examining the possibility of adding him.
However, Panathinaikos doesn’t want to get into any kind of negotiations with Reggio Emilia and will only proceed if the 29-years old player can arrange by himself the talks with the Italian club about his immediate release.
Despite the interest from all three clubs, there’s no clear indication about the level of interest and the end result of the “race” to sign the Polish forward. Ponitka averaged 8.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 2.4 asp in the EuroLeague while playing for Zenit St. Petersburg.
He stole the show in the Eurobasket, leading Poland to the fourth spot and beating Slovenia while registering a historic triple-double.