The NBA is aiming to tip off a new Europe-based league in October 2027, NBA Europe managing director George Aivazoglou said Friday during a conference in Milan.
Aivazoglou described the inaugural season as a possible “semi-opening,” suggesting all 16 roster spots might not be filled immediately. The framework calls for 12 permanent franchises and four rotating clubs that would qualify by winning FIBA’s Basketball Champions League or through high finishes in their domestic competitions.
Target markets for the permanent teams include Britain (London, Manchester), France (Paris, Lyon), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), Italy (Rome, Milan), Germany (Munich, Berlin), Greece (Athens) and Turkey (Istanbul). No formal agreements with cities or clubs have been finalized.
Aivazoglou said the qualification pathway is “probably the most exciting part of the plan,” noting that domestic leagues “are not necessarily what they had been 20 or 30 years ago.”
While there is no timeline for an official announcement of franchises, conversations with investors and potential ownership groups are ongoing. The NBA will showcase its interest in the region in mid-January when the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies play preseason games in Berlin and London.
League officials are also exploring a post-launch tournament pitting NBA clubs against European teams, a concept Aivazoglou compared to soccer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
The NBA and basketball’s world governing body FIBA disclosed in March 2025 that they were jointly developing the European circuit. Financial advisers JPMorgan Chase and Raine Group were brought on earlier this year to shape the project’s funding and strategy.
Storied European basketball powers such as Real Madrid, Fenerbahce and Barcelona have been linked to the new league, as have global soccer brands Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Approximately one out of every six players on current NBA rosters is from Europe, including two-time MVP Nikola Jokic of Serbia and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece.
Source: ESPN
