Olympiacos capped off the 2025/26 season in dominant fashion by winning the EuroLeague, followed by the Greek Basket League title a few weeks later. Heading into the offseason, it seemed they were set to make another splash with the signings of Jean Montero and Codi Miller-McIntyre.
Olympiacos landed Jean Montero, who was pursued by top clubs across Europe, while Codi Miller-McIntyre is expected to elevate the team’s playmaking and scoring from the point guard position compared to Thomas Walkup. When it came to departures, most of the players who left were those who had limited roles for one reason or another. However, with just over a month left before the new season tips off, one glaring hole in the roster remains.
Alec Peters departed Piraeus after four years, and it seems that amidst the championship celebrations, the front office forgot to adequately replace him. The American power forward was the perfect backup for Sasha Vezenkov – essentially a toned-down version of one of the EuroLeague’s premier players, always ready to step in off the bench and light up opponents while the Bulgarian star rested.
Peters’ curse
In fact, Peters was a crucial piece in the red-and-whites’ title run, earning him the unofficial MVP title of the Final Four. Perhaps that was also his curse in Piraeus: he was not good enough to push Vezenkov out of starting lineup, but too good to play second fiddle and too capable to settle for a restricted role averaging around 15 minutes per game in the EuroLeague.
As a result, the 31-year-old packed his bags for Milano, where he will serve as one of the team’s primary leaders and a key option for Giuseppe Poeta. On the flip side, Georgios Bartzokas was left without a vital member of his rotation.
A mismatched replacement
It cannot be said that Olympiacos failed to respond altogether. They brought in Mbaye Ndiaye, paying Asvel a €400,000 buyout to secure him, but he is a vastly different player than Peters. That is not to say Ndiaye is a poor player; his defensive contribution is substantial, as evidenced by his 2.6 “stocks” per game in the EuroLeague, but his offensive game has clear limitations.
Shooting 18.1% from three-point range on 72 attempts is well below average – especially when brought in to replace someone who, across eight EuroLeague seasons, only dipped below 40% once (finishing at 39%) and frequently exceeded 50%, which is exceptional efficiency.
Olympiacos’ delayed effort to properly address this departure – partially constrained by market availability – could prove to be the single flaw that prevents a repeat championship in Piraeus next season.
To their credit, Olympiacos’ front office has shown a willingness to admit and address mistakes. Last season, they responded mid-year to roster deficiencies by bringing in Cory Joseph and Tyrique Jones, both of whom contributed in their own way to securing the club’s first EuroLeague title in 13 years.
