NBA: NBA Europe on schedule for 2027 launch, Silver says

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the league remains on schedule to launch NBA Europe in October 2027, with final bids for permanent franchises due by the end of June and awards expected as soon as this fall.

The league has seen record interest in the proposed competition. The NBA is working closely with FIBA on the project, which would mark the league’s most ambitious international expansion, Silver told reporters at a press conference ahead of Game One of the NBA Finals.

"We are very much on schedule," Silver said. "It is our hope and anticipation that the league will launch in the ’27-28 season in Europe. We are on track."

The planned league is expected to feature 16 teams, including 12 permanent franchises and four additional spots available through a qualification process for clubs across Europe, Silver added.

The NBA's push into Europe comes amid the growing international influence on the league. Silver noted that roughly 15% of NBA players are European, including top stars like 22-year-old Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who is leading the San Antonio Spurs against the New York Knicks in the Finals.

EuroLeague Discussions Ongoing

The proposed NBA Europe competition would enter a market currently anchored by the EuroLeague, which encompasses most of the continent's basketball powerhouses, including Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and Barcelona.

Silver said discussions with EuroLeague are continuing and that the NBA hopes to find a way to integrate operations with the existing competition. However, he made it clear that the NBA is prepared to proceed independently if necessary.

"It's our hope that we can find a way to integrate these operations with the EuroLeague, but we will move forward either way," Silver said.

According to a report from Sports Business Journal, EuroLeague clubs would need to pay between $500 million and $1 billion for permanent NBA Europe franchises, though those financial commitments have not yet been finalized.

Ownership Questions & US Expansion

Silver also stated that the issue of whether active NBA players can invest in NBA Europe teams remains unresolved and must be negotiated with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic is currently part of an investment group attempting to bring an NBA Europe franchise to Rome. Under current league rules, active NBA players are strictly prohibited from owning stakes in NBA teams while playing in the league.

"That has not been resolved yet," Silver said. "Part of the determination will be what the basketball relationship will be between these teams, NBA Europe, and the NBA. That obviously could complicate things if current NBA players were owners."

Aside from European expansion, Silver said the NBA is continuing discussions regarding potential expansion within the United States, with Las Vegas and Seattle remaining the league's primary focus. He noted that the NBA Board of Governors is expected to decide by the end of the calendar year whether to expand to one or both cities, though he cautioned that domestic expansion is not yet guaranteed. -Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Edwina Gibbs/Reuters