Update: Kostas Papanikolaou officially signed a two-year deal, worth $4.8 million this season, on Tuesday.

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Logic told Kostas Papanikolaou the time was right for him to make the jump to the NBA, but he wasn’t listening. He didn’t need to.

There were many strong arguments to be made had doubt caused him to argue.

At 24-years-old, he was ready to take that step, but young enough to wait out the growing pains of the transition.

He had won consecutive Euroleague championships. He had the recommendations about the Rockets from Luis Scola and Omer Asik and even former Greek national team teammate Vassilis Spanoulis, who bolted the NBA after one horribly unhappy season.

He also had an offer worth $4.8 million next season, the largest salary in the first year of a contract ever for a second-round pick and more than enough for him to afford his buyout from FC Barcelona Basquet.

Yet, none of that led him to a deal with the Rockets this month or his move to Houston this week. Any of that could have convinced him to take the leap, but he could not resist it, anyway.

“Actually, what I was thinking was I didn’t want to be thinking like five years later that I had this opportunity and didn’t do it,” Papanikolaou said. “This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn’t want to miss it. I thought, ‘This is the time.’ I spoke with the GM (Daryl Morey). The coach himself (Kevin McHale) called me. That means a lot to a player. But I just didn’t want to be stupid and lose this opportunity to be here, to live this dream to go to the NBA.”

Papanikolaou described himself as ready to take on the challenge, but not necessarily for the NBA, as if unwilling to suggest even to himself that his goal was just to have landed his place on the Rockets roster.

Papanikolaou is expected to sign next week once his buyout makes its way through the FIBA approval process. Drafted by the Knicks in 2012, the Rockets acquired his rights in the space-clearing deal that sent Thomas Robinson to Portland in 2013. He is expected to compete for playing time off the bench, likely at small forward initially (though at 6-9, he could get time in the stretch four role Omri Casspi played last season). But the Rockets cite his room to grow as much as how far he has already come.

“I think he can fit pretty well with the way we play because he’s a guy who likes to get up and down the floor, he’s pretty good in transition and finishing,” Rockets vice president of player personnel Gianluca Pascucci said. “He’s a guy who has good energy on the floor, doing a little bit of everything, the intangibles that sometimes are really hard to get but coaches and teammates really love. He likes to help the team in whichever area the coach asks him to do.

“His 3-point shot will definitely get better. He starts from a good base and with work can improve and become a solid shooter.”

Papanikolaou averaged 6.9 points in 25 minutes per game last season, making 36.1 percent of his 3-pointers. But just as the Rockets cite his resume as part of his scouting report – two Euroleague championships, a Spanish League title and a Greek league title – he describes his style as doing whatever is necessary to win, as if citing any strength would suggest it is a priority.

“I don’t like to say big things, but I’m here to work and get as better as I can,” Papanikolaou said. “I don’t like to say I’m a scorer or a rebounder; I try to do everything that I can in each game, play tough first of all and bring my energy and give my team whatever they need. If this is a loose ball, there will be a fight for the loose ball. If there is a crucial rebound, there is going to be a crucial rebound.

“Everything the team needs is what I try to give them. I really enjoy when the team is happy. Everybody is happy when the team is winning.”

The adjustment might not be difficult. He played with Rockets Pat Beverley, Joey Dorsey and Josh Powell in Europe. He was clearly moved when Trevor Ariza invited him to join teammates at lunch on Thursday, saying “that was very special to me.” Papanikolaou said he followed the Rockets closely last season more as a fan of the NBA than as a player in position to join them.

More than all of that or any lists of pros and cons he could have considered, he knew the time was right.

“I’m 24-years-old and I had some incredible moments in European basketball,” Papanikolaou said. “Two Euroleagues is something amazing for European basketball. All this made me grow up as a player and feel more ready to come over here.

“I like new challenges in my life. This is a big challenge for me, to be here and to be able to step on the court and make it happen.”