The NBA is formally targeting an October 2027 launch for its new 16-team European League, with preferred cities including London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Berlin, Munich, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, and Istanbul. George Aivazoglou, managing director for the NBA's European and Middle East offices, revealed the timeline Friday at a Football Business Forum in Milan.
Aivazoglou said 12 teams would be permanent members while four teams would compete via play-in through FIBA's Champions League or domestic leagues. Manchester and Lyon were also cited as potential locations for the new venture.
The NBA has hired JP Morgan Chase and the Raine Group to identify potential investors. Conversations have focused on sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms, and wealthy families, with an announcement expected soon.
"It would be a new competition bringing together NBA and NBA Europe teams - down the line, an NBA Cup format with American and European teams, or a tournament like last summer's FIFA Club World Cup - as part of an increasingly integrated framework," Aivazoglou said, according to audio obtained by The Athletic.
Existing basketball powerhouses Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Alba Berlin, and ASVEL are expected to participate, according to two European basketball sources. Four of those clubs currently compete in the EuroLeague.
The NBA is seeking partnerships with soccer organizations in some cities. In Paris, the league is pursuing a relationship with Qatari authorities who own Paris Saint-Germain. Similar discussions are occurring in Milan with deep-pocketed soccer clubs.
Aivazoglou identified three categories of potential teams: existing basketball franchises, soccer clubs with large fan bases that lack basketball programs, and new teams built from scratch in limited cases. Rome currently has no top-level professional basketball team.
The impact on EuroLeague's survival remains unclear. Eight of the 20 current EuroLeague teams play in cities on the NBA's target list, potentially leaving historic franchises excluded unless they qualify through FIBA or domestic leagues.
Commissioner Adam Silver has suggested the European league represents a form of expansion that could delay or replace adding teams to the NBA's current 30-franchise structure.