NBA Europe12 cities. 12 slots.

How the league works

Where we are

• Mar 2025NBA and FIBA jointly announce they are exploring a new pan-European league.
• Dec 2025The two bodies confirm they will engage prospective teams and ownership groups.
• Feb 2026Bidding opens across the 12 target cities.
• 31 Mar 2026Non-binding bids due. More than 120 investors reported to have engaged.
• 30 Jun 2026Final bids close. Over 20 ownership groups submit across all 12 cities.
• 25 Aug 2026Euroleague Basketball advances eleven candidates to the binding-offer stage of its own expansion to 24 teams for 2027-28. Reported at close to €700m in franchise fees. Shortlist includes London Lions, Paris Basketball and a Rome entry.
• 10 Sep 2026EuroLeague owners' meeting set for 5 October at Villa d'Este, Lake Como. Gazzetta dello Sport reports the NBA is exploring an offer for a controlling interest in the competition.
• 15 Sep 2026NBA Board of Governors meets in New York. Adam Silver confirms ongoing negotiations with the EuroLeague, described in press-conference reporting as talks toward majority ownership. He says announcements are expected over the next several weeks, that NBA Europe launches in 2027 regardless of a deal, and that some potential investors would prefer a later launch.
• 27 Sep 2026The NBA sends the EuroLeague a formal offer for a joint European project. Terms undisclosed. Reported by Eurohoops, citing multiple sources.
• 28 Sep 2026Ninety days since bids closed, the outer edge of the 60–90 day window Mark Tatum indicated in late June. No franchise awarded.
• 6 Oct 2026EuroLeague owners meet at Villa d’Este, Cernobbio. The thirteen shareholder clubs reject the NBA’s offer as financially unsatisfactory; Gazzetta reports it carried a 6 October deadline and was conditional on the EuroLeague pausing its own expansion. The clubs postpone the 20-to-24-team decision — meeting that condition — while agreeing to move toward converting their thirteen 10-year licences into permanent franchises. Reuters reports fourteen bids received for a maximum of eight slots.
• Oct 2026Awaiting the NBA’s response to the rejection. A counteroffer is widely expected. The EuroLeague board is due to return with its expansion recommendation in the coming weeks.
• 2026–27Qualifying season for the four non-permanent slots.
• Oct 2027Inaugural NBA Europe season tips off.

The open question

On 6 October the EuroLeague’s thirteen shareholder clubs rejected the NBA’s first formal offer, but did not close the door: they paused their own expansion vote, which was one of the NBA’s conditions for keeping talks open. A counteroffer is widely expected. Both sides have said they will proceed with their own plans for 2027–28 if no agreement is reached. Separately, The Athletic reports that Mark Tatum and George Aivazoglou have held talks with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona about joining NBA Europe directly — which would take four of the biggest EuroLeague clubs out of the competition whose future they just voted on.