Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has strengthened its backcourt by signing Brancou Badio to a three-year contract, adding one of the standout perimeter defenders from the 2025-26 EuroLeague season. The Senegalese guard joins the Greek club after two successful seasons with Valencia Basket, where he helped win the Liga Endesa and Supercopa Endesa titles.
Badio, 27, averaged 11.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 40 EuroLeague appearances for Valencia during the 2025-26 campaign. He shot 42.5% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range while becoming a key part of Valencia’s run to the EuroLeague Final Four.
Valencia finished second in the 2025-26 EuroLeague regular season with a 25-13 record before reaching the Final Four. The Spanish side defeated Panathinaikos 3-2 in the playoff series before falling to Real Madrid 105-90 in the semifinals.
The move comes shortly after Valencia confirmed Badio’s departure following the payment of his full buyout clause. The club thanked the guard for his contribution during a two-year stint in which he appeared in 145 games across all competitions.
Badio joined Valencia in the summer of 2024 from BAXI Manresa after spending two seasons under coach Pedro Martinez, who later left Valencia for Real Madrid. In his first season with Valencia, Badio averaged 10.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in Liga Endesa and EuroCup competition, shooting 38% from three-point range.
His second season marked his first full EuroLeague campaign. Badio averaged 11.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 34 regular-season EuroLeague games while shooting 35.8% from beyond the arc. His defensive impact became one of his defining qualities, with his perimeter pressure helping Valencia compete against elite backcourts.
Before arriving at Valencia, Badio developed his game with Manresa, where he averaged 14.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists during the 2023-24 Liga Endesa season. Across his six Liga Endesa seasons, he has averaged 10.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 35.1% from three-point range.
Panathinaikos adds Badio after finishing seventh in the 2025-26 EuroLeague regular season with a 22-16 record. The Greek club reached the playoffs but lost to Valencia in five games, including an 81-64 defeat in the decisive Game 5.
Badio becomes the third signing of head coach Zeljko Obradovic’s second tenure at Panathinaikos, following the arrivals of Moustapha Fall and Guerschon Yabusele. He joins a roster that already features leading scorer Kendrick Nunn, giving Obradovic another defensive-minded guard who can space the floor and handle secondary playmaking duties.
Badio’s arrival continues Panathinaikos’ offseason reshaping after the departures of TJ Shorts, Kenneth Faried and Marius Grigonis, as well as the change from Ergin Ataman to Obradovic on the sideline.
