NBA commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum are in Europe this week holding multiple meetings with potential stakeholders of the NBA’s planned European basketball league, according to a person familiar with the details.
The talks include private equity firms, investment banks, sovereign wealth funds, government officials and basketball clubs on the continent, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the agenda is private. London is among the places where Silver and Tatum are speaking with interested groups, the source said. The city is also a possible site for a team in the new league, which will be backed by the NBA and FIBA.
The NBA declined to comment. FIBA did not respond to a request for comment.
In a March press conference held alongside FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis, Silver confirmed “exploratory” talks between owners regarding a new European league. Silver said the format would include roughly 12 permanent franchises and four rotating wild-card spots based on performance in other competitions.
During the same March media session, Zagklis said if EuroLeague teams were offered places in the new league, they wouldn’t necessarily need to abandon their existing competitions to participate. They could play a compatible schedule involving multiple major leagues. EuroLeague also uses a mixed format with some fixed participants and some rotating clubs.
The new league involving the NBA will use FIBA rather than NBA rules.
NBA owners would likely share in joint ownership of the league but not directly own individual franchises, Sportico previously reported. As a result, possible new franchises could present an attractive investment opportunity for private equity and sovereign wealth funds looking to gain financial pull in global basketball that is not easily available in the United States.
In the NBA, private equity funds are limited to 20% ownership in any team. It is not yet clear what, if any, restrictions the European league would impose.
The European competition is still “at least a couple years away from launching” if it comes together, Silver told reporters during the 2025 NBA Finals.