A New League Of Their Own: NBA, FIBA Take Next Move In European Plans
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 06:09PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED April 1, 2026: NBA Deputy Commissioner and COO Mark Tatum said interest in the NBA and FIBA project to launch a new European league has been strong, with multiple groups already competing for a place in the potential competition.
"We have received significant interest from a range of prospective teams and investors for permanent franchise spots in a new league in Europe backed by the NBA and FIBA. The level of engagement and the scale of the bids reflect the marketplace's belief in our proposed model and the enormous, untapped potential for European basketball.
"We will now review the bids in more detail and shortlist the partners who share our vision and commitment to accelerating the growth of the game across the continent."
March 31 was the last day to submit bids for NBA Europe.
December 22, 2025; Proclaiming that “an enormous opportunity exists around the creation of a new league on the continent,” the NBA and FIBA (International Basketball Federation) said they will in January “move forward in their joint exploration of a new professional, pan-European men’s basketball league by engaging prospective teams and ownership groups in the process to join the league.”
“Our conversations with various stakeholders in Europe have reinforced our belief that an enormous opportunity exists around the creation of a new league on the continent,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said via the league.
“Together with FIBA, we look forward to engaging prospective clubs and ownership groups that share our vision for the game’s potential in Europe.”
Franchise values could be upward of a $1 billion, according to CNBC.
At the NBA Cup in Las Vegas this month, Silver said JPMorgan and the Raine Group “have been actively meeting with interested parties in Europe and that there is a lot of 'positive interest' in moving forward.
“The bankers have met with at least 70 potential investors, sources told CNBC. Discussions began about a year and a half ago. The goal is to take non-binding bids next month and vote on green-lighting the league at the board of governors meeting in March.”
NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum has said previously that the league is contemplating potential ownership by sovereign wealth funds. The NBA is also engaging current European soccer club owners, according to CNBC.
ESPN hoops reporter Brian Windhorst said the NBA’s proposed European league is “already drawing significant attention from high-profile investors, including sovereign wealth funds in Abu Dhabi and Qatar,” via his The Varsity Podcast.
“I have talked directly to the leadership in Abu Dhabi. I know that they have great interest in starting a team in Manchester to twin with their very fabulously successful Man City.”
“Qatari investment officials have also expressed interest in launching a team in Paris alongside their successful PSG football operation, signaling early global financial backing for the new league. Those are tremendous people to partner with,” according two Windhorst.
As part of the new league, the NBA and FIBA said they plan to dedicate financial support and resources to the continued development of Europe’s basketball ecosystem, including domestic leagues, club team academies, and the NBA and FIBA’s existing programs to develop aspiring players, coaches and referees at all levels of the game.
In addition to permanent spots, the new league would offer every team in a FIBA-affiliated domestic league in Europe a merit-based pathway to qualify on an annual basis either through FIBA’s Basketball Champions League (BCL) or an end-of-season qualifying tournament. 
The league would also align its schedule with domestic league and national team schedules, allowing players to represent their club and national team year-round.
“Advancing further this joint NBA-FIBA project is great news for the European basketball community,” FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said via the organization.
“The format of the league respects European sport model principles by offering any ambitious club in the continent a fair pathway to the top. The project is conceived in a way that will improve the sustainability of the entire European basketball ecosystem, including players, clubs, leagues and national federations, by generating a knock-on effect that will strongly benefit basketball fans throughout Europe.”
This past July calling it a reflection of “the incredible momentum and appetite for NBA basketball in France, Germany, the U.K. and across the region,” the NBA unveiled a series of International games to be played over the next three seasons.
The first will feature the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic playing regular-season games in Berlin Jan. 15 and in London Jan. 18, 2026.
The league also said it would play regular-season games in Manchester and Paris in 2027 and in Berlin and Paris in 2028.
NBA Plans Play-Cation Games Over Next Three Seasons: France, Germany, U.K.
NBA, FIBA Take Euro-Steps To Form A League In Europe: ‘It Is The Right Time’