Olympiacos and Panathinaikos pursuing Panagiotis Kalaitzakis / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: K. Kavolėlis Credit K. Kavolėlis

Both Greek powerhouses Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens pursue the EuroCup standout Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, sources say BasketNews.

Panagiotis Kalaitzakis

Team:Lietkabelis PanevezysPosition:SG, SFAge:23Height:200 cmWeight:92 kgBirth place:Crete, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

Panathinaikos already had intentions to bring Kalaitzakis to Athens even during this season, suggesting a long-term deal possibility.

However, Olympiacos recently emerged as a new suitor by showing an interest in acquiring a 23-year-old point-forward.

Kalaitzakis is still under contract with Lietkabelis Panevezys for the next season, but a small exit clause is included in his agreement with the Lithuanians.

Currently, Kalaitzakis fights for the Lithuanian league title. The Greek player was a top scorer (16 PTS) in Game 1 to steal the homecourt advantage from Rytas Vilnius in the best of seven series, 77-68.

"If you want to win nowadays, you have to rely on Lithuanians or hungry players, just like Kalaitzakis. They want to get to a bigger club and are very motivated. Talking about Panagiotis, I really like him. He's a very good kid. I think he has a bright future ahead," the legendary Lithuanian coach Rimas Kurtinaitis told BasketNews before the LKL finals.

In 19 EuroCup appearances, Kalaitzakis averaged 13 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals.

He was a leading scorer among all Greeks in the International competitions this season.

Kalaitzakis posts 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.5 steals on average in the Lithuanian league.

Lietkabelis head coach Nenad Canak uses his 2.00 m player as his top lockdown perimeter defender, but during this season, Kalaitzakis also emerged as one of the primary offensive weapons.

It took some time for Kalaitzakis to get recognition from his home country finally. BasketNews wrote a story about his unusual route.

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