Isaac Bonga has chosen to remain in Europe after agreeing to a multiyear contract with Greek club Panathinaikos, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.
Bonga had hoped to make an NBA comeback this summer, but he did not receive the kind of offer he wanted “in terms of role, competitive ambitions and overall situation,” leading him to continue his career in the EuroLeague.
His new Panathinaikos deal is expected to include NBA exit clauses each offseason, sources told BasketNews. Bonga had previously been linked to the Pistons in April.
The 26-year-old reportedly drew “widespread” interest from several major EuroLeague teams before choosing Panathinaikos.
He was also recently connected to Real Madrid after being named Defensive Player of EuroBasket 2025 while helping Germany win the gold medal.
Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos hinted that Bonga is scheduled to take a physical on Wednesday to finalize the move, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.
A former 39th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Bonga played four NBA seasons before returning to Europe in 2022.
He is coming off a strong year with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia and will reunite with his former coach, Zeljko Obradovic.
Across 69 games last season, Bonga averaged 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 26.3 minutes per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from three-point range, and 83.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Isaac Bonga To Sign With Panathinaikos https://t.co/3kOSXEEBGq
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 5, 2026
