By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos has taken further legal action regarding the escalating roster dispute with Thomas Walkup, sending an official letter to Dubai to denounce an illegal approach for the 33-year-old playmaker. The Piraeus-based club simultaneously communicated this tampering complaint to the EuroLeague front office.
This front-office maneuvering comes as the veteran backcourt leader continues his efforts to force an exit, having recently appealed to the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal to opt out of his current deal and secure unrestricted free agency. Olympiacos remains firm that Walkup is locked into a valid contract running until the end of the 2026–27 season, making any direct recruitment by another franchise a clear violation of league regulations.
The friction intensified when the American-born naturalized Greek guard failed to report for his scheduled training camp medicals and physical fitness examinations on Thursday morning. Because his absence from the facility was unexcused, management summoned the floor general to explain part of an official disciplinary proceeding.
This holdout followed Walkup submitting a unilateral written notice seeking to terminate his contract and demanding an immediate release, a request the reigning EuroLeague champions swiftly rejected while warning of extensive legal remedies to protect their assets.
Meanwhile, Dubai has aggressively targeted the defensive specialist by submitting three written buyout offers to acquire his rights, as detailed by Eurohoops earlier in the offseason.
The Reds responded that Walkup is strictly off the market, refusing to issue any counter-offers for a player transfer.
The former Stephen F. Austin standout has been an Olympiacos player since 2021.
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