As one of the most talented young players in Europe, the under-24 Papanikolaou has achieved success both at the club level and with the Greek youth team. Notably, he has won the EuroLeague title twice as a member of Olympiacos. In the eyes of Barcelona head coach Xavi Pascual, this Greek small forward is the glue of the team. It is reported that the Rockets had contacted Papanikolaou's agent Mark Cornstein and Barcelona before the trade deadline to sign him for this season, similar to what they did last year with Patrick Beverley. It is worth noting that Beverley was once a teammate of Papanikolaou at Olympiacos.
There are reports that both Barcelona and Papanikolaou himself are not considering the possibility of playing in the NBA mid-season. Currently, Barcelona is one of the favorites to win the EuroLeague, and Papanikolaou is happy in Catalonia, satisfied with his current performance, and does not wish to leave Spain before the start of the 2013-14 season. The Rockets will reach out to Cornstein again this summer, and there are indications that the Rockets hope to sign Papanikolaou, but no one knows what will ultimately happen.
Last summer, in a trade involving Thomas Robinson, the Portland Trail Blazers sent Papanikolaou's rights to Houston. After that, Papanikolaou signed with Barcelona. According to the contract previously signed by Papanikolaou with Barcelona, the buyout fee for the Greek talent this summer is 1.1 million euros.
On the other hand, sources indicate that if the Rockets want to sign Papanikolaou, they must guarantee him playing time and an important role on the team. This season in La Liga, Papanikolaou has averaged 24.7 minutes per game, while in the EuroLeague, he has averaged 26.4 minutes per game.
In fact, many people are unfamiliar with Vezenkov. Standing at 2.03 meters tall, the 19-year-old from Bulgaria is a power forward currently playing for Aris in the Greek league. As one of the key players on his team, Vezenkov has played 18 games this season, averaging 27.6 minutes per game with 10.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.8%.