NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presents Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets with the Michael Jordan MVP trophy (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The NBA’s long-anticipated expansion into Europe is gaining momentum, as Commissioner Adam Silver and FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis confirmed that the two organizations are entering the next phase of discussions to create a new professional basketball league on the continent.
“This is the time to move to the next stage,” Silver said during the NBA Board of Governors media availability. “We’re ready to explore a potential league in Europe with FIBA as our partners.”
Silver described the initiative as the continuation of decades-long conversations, with the goal of closing what he called a “huge gap” between basketball’s popularity in Europe and the development of professional league infrastructure there.
“These are not new discussions,” Silver said. “Certainly my predecessor, David Stern, along with your predecessors, Bora Stankovic and Patrick Baumann, had discussions around potential opportunities in Europe literally for decades. But we feel now is the time to move to the next stage.”
16-team Model Under Review
Silver said the working model calls for a 16-team league that would feature 12 permanent franchises and four additional teams earning yearly qualification through domestic leagues or FIBA’s Basketball Champions League.
“The initial thought is that we would have a 16-team league, potentially,” Silver said.
“Maybe 12 permanent clubs and four that would be in a position to play in on a yearly basis. But that’s very much subject to change.”
Zagklis said the project has received unanimous backing from FIBA’s executive committee.
“We have unanimous support to take the next step together with the NBA,” Zagklis said. “This does not mean that this happens to the detriment of other stakeholders. It’s actually trying to raise the tide for everyone in European basketball.”
EuroLeague Teams and PSG Identified as Potential Participants
Four current EuroLeague teams — Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Fenerbahce Istanbul — are being considered for inclusion in the new league, according to a report from The Athletic. The same report indicated the NBA is also exploring partnerships with football clubs to leverage commercial reach and brand identity.
According to Le Parisien, the league has held talks with Qatar Sports Investments, the majority owner of Paris Saint-Germain, regarding a potential franchise in Paris. Two options were reportedly presented: purchasing the existing Paris Basketball club or launching a new franchise entirely.
Paris Basketball, which competes in EuroLeague and plays home games at the Adidas Arena, was founded in 2018 by former NBA executives and has built a growing fan base. Club president David Kahn has publicly supported the NBA’s expansion into Europe, saying, “It’s going to be huge.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi reportedly met in January, during the league’s trip to Paris for a regular-season game.
New Franchises Could Target Major European Markets
The NBA is said to be evaluating new or existing clubs in cities such as London, Madrid, Berlin, Istanbul, Milan, Rome, Athens, Munich, and Manchester. The cities share a common denominator: strong basketball interest and connections to globally recognized soccer brands.
“We want to better test the level of interest of existing clubs,” Silver said. “In some cases, what comes with those existing clubs are huge global brands… that becomes very relevant.”
Silver added that new ownership groups in major basketball markets could also emerge.
Franchise valuations have been reported to range as high as $500 million, though a senior NBA official told The Athletic that such figures remain speculative.
According to Sportico, the NBA has modeled versions of the league with eight to 10 teams in the early stages. Under one scenario, the NBA would hold a 50% ownership stake in the league, with the other half distributed among franchise investors.
Hybrid Structure Would Blend NBA and FIBA Elements
The NBA and FIBA are planning a league that blends features of both American and European systems, combining fixed membership with performance-based entry.
“From an American standpoint… [permanence] incentivizes incentives, whether incentives to build new arenas, incentives to build brands,” Silver said. “On the other hand, I love that sense of hope that you see in Europe.”
Zagklis emphasized that European clubs — not universities — serve as the primary development pathway for talent across the continent.
“There is no NCAA in Europe. The production of players happens in the clubs,” he said. “There is a pyramidal system of sports… the dream of developing and playing against the best is part of our mission, as well.”
Silver said the opportunity to build a league from the ground up opens the door to innovation across media, branding, and fan experience.
“One of the things I’m fascinated in exploring is, to the extent we have the ability to create a league from scratch, how would we do things differently based on 79 years of learning in the NBA and decades of learning for FIBA,” Silver said.
NBA Aims to Ensure Competitive Balance, Sustainable Investment
Silver said the new league would require a level playing field and clear financial controls — elements common to U.S.-based leagues but less common in European sports.
“We are not interested in operating a league that has no system of control in terms of competition, in terms of ultimate compensation paid to the players,” he said. “We would want… a system where every team, regardless of the market size even in Europe, is in a position to compete.”
Current NBA rules prohibit team owners from holding stakes in more than one basketball club. Silver said that while U.S. ownership groups would not operate individual European franchises, they could potentially participate as collective league stakeholders.
“At least it’s our contemplation now that NBA owners would participate as a collective, as owners in the league, but not owners of individual clubs,” Silver said.
Zagklis noted FIBA’s regulatory authority would support consistent standards for player transfers and competition rules across multiple countries.
“There is no way in an international setup to put rules in place of that sort… without the regulatory backing of the international body,” he said. “That’s why we’re really excited.”
No Launch Date Yet, But League Planning Underway
Silver confirmed that no formal vote was held at the Board of Governors meetings this week but said there is strong support among NBA owners to continue evaluating the plan. Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, a longtime FIBA board member, is leading the effort for the league office.
“It will require us… creating a fully developed business plan where we have dealt with all potential stakeholders,” Silver said. “Once we’re able to concretize a plan in that way… it would require a vote of our board to move forward.”
Both Silver and Zagklis emphasized that Thursday’s announcement was not the launch of a league, but a public commitment to transparent dialogue with teams, investors, and fans.
“We want to have very open and direct conversations with existing stakeholders and not have back-room conversations,” Silver said.
“This is a conversation that started decades ago,” Zagklis added. “We now feel the moment is right to push forward.”
Grant Afseth
