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The NBA and EuroLeague ramped up discussions Tuesday about a potential NBA Europe collaboration, with sources saying the NBA reiterated its blueprint of how EuroLeague franchises can join the prospective start-up. During a joint meeting between FIBA, the NBA and EuroLeague in Mies, Switzerland, sources said the NBA -- represented by its manager director of Europe and Middle East George Aivazoglou -- outlined the two ways EuroLeague clubs that haven’t already submitted bids can opt in. First, Aivazoglou told them it is not too late to bid to become a permanent franchise at launch, despite an original March 31 submission deadline. And second, EuroLeague teams can still be part of NBA Europe by qualifying through merit-based competition.
Marc Stein: The NBA, I'm told, continues to target 2027-28 as the planned inaugural season for launching NBA Europe. Commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum have made it clear they hope to collaborate with the EuroLeague rather than compete against it and the NBA has announced that it held talks today with EuroLeague representatives at FIBA headquarters in Switzerland. It's believed that more than 20 existing European basketball and football clubs, including teams currently in the EuroLeague, have lodged bids for NBA Europe franchises.
And the stakes couldn’t be higher than those in Tuesday’s meeting in Geneva between FIBA, the NBA, and the EuroLeague. After many twists and turns it would be naive to believe that this meeting can make or break the future of European basketball. However, it can be the start for the better, and hopefully not for the worse. This will be the first official meeting between the new EuroLeague CEO, Chus Bueno, and the NBA and FIBA. NBA Director for Europe and the Middle East, George Aivazoglou, is expected to be there, plus FIBA top management, which is hosting the meeting.
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According to Eurohoops sources, this is a conscious choice of the league shareholding clubs, which have full trust in the new CEO and also in the president Dejan Bodiroga, who will also be there, as well as other members of the management. Plus, this decision reaffirms the EuroLeague position that any discussion about the future of a joint league should include all EuroLeague shareholders. Chus Bueno and Dejan Bodiroga have this mandate, but they are also ready to discuss anything on the table, waiting to hear the other side.
According to sources close to tomorrow’s meeting, however, the NBA will not propose or make an offer to acquire the EuroLeague, either in whole or in part. The NBA and FIBA are expected to reiterate their proposed vision for a new league in Europe, provide an update on the significant interest they’ve received from prospective teams and investors, and outline how current EuroLeague teams that haven’t already submitted bids can participate in this new ecosystem, either by making a bid or by qualifying via a second-tier competition or their domestic league.
It is urgent to avoid another chaotic situation like the one that continental basketball already experienced in the 2000-01 season with the Euroleague coinciding with a newly created FIBA Suproleague, which fortunately only lasted a year, or to avoid another situation like the recent Superleague, now in basketball , where we already have the experience of football, where it did a lot of damage and led to the ridicule of some clubs , clashing with each other and also with their fans . It's time to avoid confrontations and conflicts, to set aside pride, to build bridges, and to explore potential synergies in order to reach a consensus between the parties. With this mindset , Chus Bueno, CEO of the Euroleague, and George Aivazoglou, NBA Managing Director for Europe and the Middle East , will attend the meeting. Aivazoglou is carrying out this task on behalf of his boss, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver .
Like Kevin Durant, James also has ownership in a soccer franchise that could potentially add a team in NBA Europe. Liverpool FC reportedly has interest in buying an NBA Europe franchise, according to City AM, and James has an ownership stake in the club. Tony Parker, the former San Antonio Spurs star and current president of French basketball club A LDLC ASVEL, is actively positioning his club to join in NBA Europe as well. “I haven’t heard much on it. There are rumors, like there has always been,” Durant told Andscape on April 6 when asked the latest he’s heard about PSG and NBA Europe. “A lot of s‑‑‑ can happen quick. I don’t know for a fact. I’m just hearing stuff from articles and narratives. I haven’t heard anything too concrete, but we will see.”
One prominent NBA agent told Andscape he wouldn’t be surprised if NBA stars from Europe like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić would be interested in ownership in NBA Europe. Dončić is part of an investor group headed by ex-Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson that is seeking to bring a team to Rome as part of NBA Europe, The Athletic has reported. The BAL is also expected to transition to a franchise-based system by 2027, with 10 permanent franchises and two annual qualifiers. An owner of a team playing in the BAL this season told Andscape that the NBA that is having conversations with potential franchise owners for teams that could have a starting price of about $50 million.
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Front Office Sports News: "For us in Europe it looks like science fiction... When we heard those numbers, we were a little bit confused." Nikola Jokic's agent Miško Ražnatovic reacts to NBA Europe's $500M-$1B team price tags considering many of the clubs in Europe are not even worth "six digits."
He said that environment is reshaping how teams evaluate prospects. “We want players that want to win,” Marks said. “So you sit there and go, why did you move? Did you just move purely for the money or was it a role or was it the coach?” Marks closed by addressing NBA Europe and expansion, calling it “a heck of an opportunity” if done carefully. “The talent will rise,” he said, while stressing that the league must continue to respect the history and structure of basketball in Europe.
During an appearance on The Carton Show (on WFAN and SNY) with Craig Carton on Friday, Adam Silver explained the appeal of a standalone league, but he proceeded to suggest the possibility of a future NBA European Division. The first concern with that expansion idea would, of course, be the idea of travel for NBA teams going to and from Europe during a season, and Silver mentioned the advancements in supersonic air travel as a way to make that feasible.
“So, [NBA Europe] would be a standalone league,” Silver said. “But, I would just say over time… There’s a company called ‘Boom’ that is saying by 2030 they’re going to have supersonic jets.” “Because travel is a big concern,” Carton said, to which Silver agreed. “Long term, I could definitely imagine we could have a division in Europe,” Silver explained. “And, obviously, this is a very global game.”