NBA finalizing club deals to launch NBA Europe in 2027 — Channel NewsAsia

The NBA is finalizing agreements with clubs for the initial stage of its own European league, NBA Europe, and plans to announce its participants soon. This was stated by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Reuters.

According to Tatum, the project is scheduled to launch in October 2027. The NBA has not changed these plans after Europe’s largest basketball clubs rejected a proposal to cooperate with the league. At the same time, he noted that the possibility of reaching an agreement with the EuroLeague remains open.

Model of the new league

The NBA and the International Basketball Federation, FIBA, formally announced their intention to create NBA Europe in March. The competition is expected to include permanent franchises as well as clubs that will qualify annually based on sporting merit.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Tatum said the new project provides for investment in academies, grassroots basketball development, tournament organization, marketing and arena infrastructure. In his assessment, this will be the largest investment in European basketball.

Differences with the EuroLeague

The EuroLeague currently has 13 permanent shareholder clubs and plans to issue up to eight long-term licenses as part of expanding the tournament to 24 teams. The announcement of new franchises is expected in mid-November.

Tatum criticized the EuroLeague’s approach to expansion, emphasizing the financial instability of some clubs. According to him, the NBA forecasts that permanent NBA Europe franchises could become profitable in their third year of operation, while clubs will receive multibillion-dollar payments over the first decade. EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno previously warned that further fragmentation of the continent’s basketball market would be a catastrophe.