Latest On NBA Europe
Final bids for the NBA’s proposed European league, known as NBA Europe, are due at the end of March. But it certainly sounds like the NBA doesn’t want to be in direct competition with the EuroLeague, whose new CEO, Chus Bueno, previously worked for the NBA.
Bueno spent 12 years with the NBA as vice president of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The veteran executive also held the title of managing director of NBA Spain.
The NBA, FIBA and the EuroLeague are expected to have a meeting in the next few days about a possible joint venture involving NBA Europe that could feature 24 teams, sources tell Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last Wednesday that the ideal outcome would be for the NBA and the EuroLeague to work together, specifically mentioning his relationship with Bueno. Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported on Sunday that Bueno becoming EuroLeague CEO has led to optimism that the leagues might be able to collaborate, and Barkas has heard the same.
“Chus used to be a colleague of mine at the NBA for many years. I think for the better of European basketball, the best outcome would be if we come together with the EuroLeague,” Silver said, per Stefan Acevski of Eurohoops. “And that we came up with a systematic approach to growing the game throughout Europe. And that means complementing the country leagues, working together with the EuroLeague, and with FIBA.”
For his part, Bueno recently suggested the EuroLeague would be open to exploring that scenario, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays.
According to Barkas’ sources, EuroLeague powerhouses Real Madrid and Fenerbahce are “very close” to signing new 10-year licenses, with the timing seeming to mirror the upcoming talks between the NBA, FIBA and the EuroLeague.
There’s a good deal of interest in NBA Europe, Barkas reports, with many of the bidders coming from the United States. However, “nobody is willing to pay a $500M fee to enter the new league,” Barkas writes.
And-Ones: Holmes, Expansion, Project B, More
Panathinaikos has parted ways with former NBA big man Richaun Holmes, the Greek EuroLeague team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link).
After playing in the NBA for 10 seasons from 2015-25, Holmes signed with Panathinaikos last August, agreeing to a one-year deal that included a team option for a second season. The deal reportedly made him one of the highest-paid players in Europe.
Although Holmes got off to a good start in the EuroLeague, he sustained an MCL injury in the midst of his integration period with his new team, notes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, and he saw his minutes decline after he returned to action. The 32-year-old averaged 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game across 19 EuroLeague appearances.
Holmes played in 489 regular season games during his decade in the NBA, but was forced to accept a lesser role as he bounced around the league in his last few years after being Sacramento’s primary starting center from 2019-22.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Expanding to 32 teams and establishing a European league could net NBA owners $20 billion or more, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico, who conservatively estimate $15 billion in expansion fees for new franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle and another $5 billion in fees for NBA Europe teams. As Badenhausen and Novy-Williams point out, expansion money isn’t shared with players, since it falls outside of basketball-related income, which means each team owner is likely looking at $650MM or more if the NBA expands both domestically and into Europe.
- Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic provide the latest details on the emerging global basketball league known as Project B, which is working with European super-agent Misko Raznatovic and counts LeBron James‘ longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter as an adviser. Project B has reached deals with several women’s basketball players and is looking to establish a foothold in men’s basketball as well, per Vardon and Vorkunov, who say the league will aim to bring in current and former NBA players, as well as top young prospects from outside the NBA for its developmental program.
- ESPN’s Zach Kram ranks the NBA’s best and worst 10 transactions since last summer. The Hornets‘ selection of Kon Knueppel at No. 4 in the draft tops Kram’s list of the best moves, while the Bucks waiving and stretching Damian Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner headlines his list of the worst moves.
Adam Silver Discusses Expansion, NBA Europe, Tanking, More
Adam Silver‘s press conference at the conclusion of the league’s latest Board of Governors meetings on Wednesday was an eventful one, as the NBA commissioner discussed next steps for potential expansion, the latest developments related to NBA Europe, the league’s anti-tanking efforts, and more.
Here are some of the highlights from Silver’s presser, sorted by subject:
On exploring expansion to Vegas and Seattle:
- Silver hopes to have a formal decision by the end of this year on the possibility of expanding to Las Vegas and/or Seattle, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Our goal was in 2026 to resolve this issue one way or the other,” Silver said. “So, my timeline — we weren’t so specific with the board — is that we need to know by the end of this calendar year what it is we’re doing. It may not be that every ‘I’ is dotted, but that would be our goal, this year.”
- The NBA has yet to reach any deals with potential ownership groups, Silver said, adding that the bidding process is wide open. “If you are interested, and I’ll say that now to people who may be listening or watching this, if you’re interested, call the league office, call PJT Partners directly in New York,” Silver said, referring to the investment bank the league hired as a strategic adviser. “I just want to make sure everybody understands there’s been no handshakes on the side. There’s been no commitments. There’s no promises to anyone. This is a completely transparent process.”
- Expanding to 32 teams isn’t a given, Silver said today (Twitter link via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints): “There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It’s also possible we could expand to one market, maybe two, or no markets.” Silver did add that there’s reason to believe there will be “enormous” interest in the Vegas and Seattle markets.
- Silver acknowledged that some team owners don’t see the need to expand beyond 30 teams, citing concerns about possible dilution of talent and further divvying up NBA revenue shares, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, the substantial potential of the Vegas and Seattle markets factored into the decision to move forward with exploring expansion. That vote was unanimous, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).
On NBA Europe:
- Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, provided team owners with an update on plans for NBA Europe at the Board of Governors meetings, but no vote was conducted on the potential European league, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Although Silver said there has been a ton of enthusiasm about NBA Europe, he acknowledged that the “best outcome” would be if the NBA could join forces with the EuroLeague on the venture rather than the two leagues competing against one another (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
On tanking:
- The NBA will hold a special Board of Governors meeting in May to make a decision on what new rules will be implemented to deter tanking, Silver told reporters (Twitter link via Reynolds).
- “We are going to fix it … full stop,” Silver said in reference to the NBA’s tanking issue (Twitter link via Stein).
- The commissioner added that the league needs to do something more “extreme” than it has in the past, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Going into next season, the incentives will be completely different than we are right now,” Silver said.
On the 65-game rule:
- Despite backlash from media members, the National Basketball Players Association, and agents, it doesn’t sound like Silver is eager to abolish – or even make changes to – the 65-game rule for end-of-season award eligibility, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Calls to modify the rule have increased with Pistons star Cade Cunningham looking likely to fall a few games short of the minimum. While Silver is sympathetic to Cunningham’s situation and says he’s always open to talking to the NBPA, he’s less convinced it’s a major problem. “I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said of the rule (Twitter link via Siegel). “It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work.”
[UPDATE: NBPA To Seek Change To 65-Game Rule]
On the Trail Blazers’ sale to incoming owner Tom Dundon and their future in Portland:
- Reporting last summer suggested that March 31 was the target date for Tom Dundon to close his purchase of majority control of the Trail Blazers. Silver suggested on Wednesday that timeline hasn’t changed. “We expect that there’ll be a vote shortly from our board,” he said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required). “Tom and his group were just interviewed yesterday, so that’s now the additional process. But that should happen in short order. I think Tom is anxious and ready to go and wants to build a championship franchise there.”
- As the Blazers look to secure a long-term future in Portland, they’ve focused on making renovations to the Moda Center rather than building a new arena, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Asked if the NBA views those renovations as sufficient to keep the team in Portland and incentivize Dundon to agree to the 20-year lease terms being discussed, Silver replied, “I believe so. The plan is to have long-term stability for the franchise. I’ve talked directly to the governor, the mayor, the city council. We wouldn’t be going through this process if the plan wasn’t to have a long-term lease in Portland. I don’t want to speak for Tom Dundon, but I know he sees the opportunity to be very successful in Portland. It’s an important market for the NBA. Tom understands that, and I admire the way the community has come together.”
Expansion Notes: NBPA, NBA Cup, SuperSonics, More
The NBA’s decision to take a vote later this month on whether to explore adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle doesn’t necessarily mean expanding to 32 teams is a lock. However, it has been seen as the eventual outcome in league circles for years, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks, who note that expansion to Vegas and Seattle, specifically, has been widely viewed as “inevitable” since commissioner Adam Silver said in December that a decision on the issue would be made in 2026.
Within an in-depth look at why expansion is likely and how it would work, Bontemps and Marks point out that the National Basketball Players Association has no vote on the subject of expansion. Still, sources tell ESPN that the players’ union would be “very much in favor” of adding two new teams to the league, since it would result in another 36 roster spots (30 standard and six two-way).
Adding two new teams would likely have an impact on how the NBA Cup functions, ESPN’s duo writes. Sorting 32 teams into eight groups made up of four clubs apiece would be a more logical format for the in-season tournament. The league could simply have the winners of each of those eight groups advance to the NBA Cup’s knockout round or could expand the knockout round to feature 16 teams like the single-elimination stage of the FIFA World Cup, Bontemps and Marks suggest.
Here’s more on possible NBA expansion:
- As part of the deal between Thunder ownership and the city of Seattle when the team relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, the two sides agreed that the name SuperSonics and all associated branding would be transferred to a new franchise approved to play at a renovated KeyArena at no cost, Bontemps and Marks write. Sources tell ESPN that the Thunder would also allow a new Seattle team to reclaim the SuperSonics’ history and records, which currently apply to the OKC franchise.
- Both ESPN and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explore some of the rules related to an expansion draft and the salary cap for expansion teams, noting that the current CBA calls for a new franchise to have a salary cap worth 66.6% of the standard cap in its first season. That figure increases to 80% in year two and to 100% in year three.
- If two expansion teams are approved, NBA revenues will be split among 32 teams instead of 30, which is one reason why current team owners haven’t necessarily been eager to expand in the past. However, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting that the expansion fees for new franchises – which are divided up among the league’s existing teams – could exceed $7 billion apiece, each current ownership group figures to be in line for significant one-time payments. Additionally, Joe Vardon of The Athletic observes that the NBA’s European league could create a new revenue stream that helps make up for the the dilution of each club’s current share of the NBA’s revenue. Owners of Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Newcastle United are among the groups expected to submit bids for NBA Europe teams, Vardon adds.
And-Ones: Fournier, Mamukelashvili, Queta, NCAA Tourney
Veteran wing NBA Evan Fournier, who currently plays for Olympiacos in Greece after spending 12 seasons in the NBA from 2012-24, said in an interview with L’Equipe that he expects to retire as a player at the end of his current contract, which expires in 2028 (hat tip to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops).
Fournier, 33, also indicated that he’d be interested in representing France again at the 2027 World Cup and/or 2028 Olympics if the national team wants him on its roster.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Raptors forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili remains focused on competing in the NBA for the foreseeable future, but he told Ric Bucher of Full Court Passport (YouTube link) that he likes the idea of eventually finishing his career and spending his retirement years in Europe. Specifically, Mamukelashvili is intrigued by the possibility of competing in the NBA’s European league. “The talent will be there, and I think it’s going to compete with college and even the NBA,” the Georgian big man said of NBA Europe, per Eurohoops. “I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops, and hopefully, down the line, I will have my chance to play over there.”
- Celtics center Neemias Queta, Heat forward Pelle Larsson, and Cavaliers swingman Jaylon Tyson are among the role players highlighted by John Hollinger of The Athletic within a story on the unheralded contributors enjoying breakout seasons.
- Mamukelashvili and Queta are two of several minimum-salary players who should be in line for significant raises on their next contracts, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan, who also examines players like Suns guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, suggests Mamukelashvili could earn a starting salary of $8-10MM on his next deal and speculates that Queta’s floor will be the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15MM+).
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic identifies nine players he’s excited to watch in the NCAA Tournament, including top-five prospects like Duke’s Cameron Boozer and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, as well as a few projected to be drafted later in the first round, such as UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Alabama’s Amari Allen.
NBA To Vote On Exploring Expansion Teams In Las Vegas, Seattle
The NBA will vote later this month on whether to explore adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The vote will take place at the Board of Governors meeting from March 24-25, and if approved, the two new franchises are expected to begin playing during the 2028/29 season. Charania cites “momentum” for the league’s stakeholders to approve examining expansion, with bids expected to fall in the $7-10 billion range for each new team.
The upcoming vote is the first step in the expansion process, Charania adds, with a final vote to officially add the new teams potentially taking place later this year. Both rounds will require approval from at least 23 of the 30 governors.
In an appearance this morning on ESPN’s Get Up (Twitter video link), Charania states that there’s a “growing majority of owners” who are in favor of expanding.
Seattle has been viewed as a possible expansion market ever since the SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Seattle was part of the NBA for more than four decades and has a large group of loyal fans who still identify with the team.
The city already has a facility in place in Climate Pledge Arena, which was formerly known as Key Arena and serves as home to the NHL’s Kraken. It recently underwent a $1.15 billion renovation and can hold 18,300 fans for basketball.
Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but it has formed a strong partnership with the league by hosting Summer League games every July, as well as the semifinals and finals of the NBA Cup. T-Mobile Arena is the home of the NHL’s Golden Knights and hosts basketball games as well with a capacity of 18,000 people.
Adding two new teams in the Pacific time zone will likely force a realignment to balance out the conferences. The Timberwolves or Grizzlies are viewed as the most likely candidate to move from the West to the East, Charania writes in a full story.
Expansion has been an on-and-off issue for the NBA over the past few years, with commissioner Adam Silver sometimes making encouraging remarks but also stating that other priorities had to be addressed first. He brought up the topic at his All-Star Weekend press conference, indicating that the league didn’t have a set number of teams in mind and that would be decided after exploring the marketplace.
There was speculation that the NBA’s focus on developing a new professional league in Europe might delay the expansion process, but it now appears to be on the front burner as the Board of Governors prepares to gather. The NBA continues to move forward on the European project, and final bids for prospective teams are due by the end of March, sources tell Charania.
And-Ones: Tanking Reform, Power Rankings, Hayes-Davis, Gasol
The subject of tanking has become a hot-button topic in recent weeks, prompting NBA commissioner Adam Silver to address it over All-Star weekend. ESPN’s Bobby Marks spoke on NBA Today on Monday about the commissioner’s response, including his comments about potentially stripping picks from teams.
“Change is coming here when we’re looking at this lottery system, and basically not incentivizing teams to lose to gain advantage in the draft,” Marks said (YouTube video link).
There have been different ideas thrown out as potential remedies for the current system. Marc Stein, in his latest Substack article, suggests a new approach, wherein teams could only secure the highest odds for landing the top pick once they clear 27 wins.
Stein uses 27 wins as the cut-off because that would mean winning at least a third of the season’s games, and would discourage teams from bottoming out completely. Some semblance of competitiveness would be required to hit that mark and qualify for a top pick. Teams that didn’t reach 27 wins would have lower odds of landing a top-four pick in this scenario.
Whatever the choice is, Stein writes that it’s important that the league doesn’t overreact to a particularly egregious single-year tank battle due to what is considered a generational draft.
We have more from around the world of basketball:
- Law Murray of The Athletic released his post-All-Star Break power rankings today, which he broke into five categories: top contenders, in a good place, the bubble, not the tier to fear, and basement floor. His top contenders category includes five teams, led by the Pistons, followed by the Spurs, Thunder, Knicks, and Celtics, while his second tier is a three-team race between the Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Rockets. On the other side of the spectrum, he has five “basement floor” teams, with the two lowest being the Wizards at 29 and the Kings, whom he calls “a true factory of sadness,” at 30.
- It was recently reported that Nigel Hayes-Davis would be leaving the NBA to return to Europe, signing a deal with Panathinaikos that will extend through 2028. He explained the decision to choose the Greek team instead of joining one of his former squad, Fenerbahce Beko. “Everyone knows Fenerbahce was an option and what I did there over the last few years, especially what we accomplished as a team last season. It just felt like that chapter was closed and that I had given my all,” he said, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Hayes-Davis was the EuroLeague Final Four MVP a year ago as Fenerbahce won the 2025 title.
- Former NBA star Pau Gasol confirmed his involvement in NBA Europe, though what exactly he will be doing has yet to be fully clarified, Martorano writes for Sportando. “At the moment, there is no defined role. I’m simply working with the NBA, with FIBA, and speaking with teams to see what the evolution of basketball’s growth in Europe should look like,” the two-time NBA champion said. “From there, we’ll see what role I will ultimately take on, whether at the league level or with a team.” He also outlined his vision for what the project would be able to accomplish: “We need to build everything from scratch. Basketball is a globally important sport, and I believe we have the space to enhance it both as an experience and as a show, going beyond the simple magic of the game itself. That is exactly what we are here to do.”
And-Ones: Bonga, Tanking, Giannis
KK Partizan recently received lucrative buyout offers for Isaac Bonga from four unnamed NBA teams, according to Pedrag Saric of Meridian Sport (hat tip to Eurohoops). However, the Serbian club rejected those offers for the German forward, who played in the NBA from 2018-22, because Partizan didn’t want to lose its most consistent player.
Bonga is still just 26 years old and could receive NBA interest again this summer, assuming he stays with the Belgrade-based team for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. In 41 total games (26.3 minutes per contest) this season, Bonga has averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .505/.312/.830 shooting.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Tanking has come under increased scrutiny this season, in part because of the perceived strength of the 2026 draft class. “This draft has a chance to be legendary,” one NBA executive told Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. How can the league combat teams trying to intentionally lose to boost their lottery odds? Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lays out his idea to address the tanking issue.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s investment in prediction market company Kalshi isn’t a great look for the NBA, says Dan Wetzel of ESPN.com. As Wetzel writes, Antetokounmpo’s minority stake in Kalshi technically doesn’t break any league rules, but it’s easy to see how it could cause fans to lose confidence in the integrity of the sport — one popular category a couple weeks ago was whether or not the Bucks‘ star forward would be traded.
- Speaking to the media on Saturday, Antetokounmpo said he would the welcome opportunity to be an owner in the NBA’s proposed European league, per Javier Molero of Eurohoops. “Being an owner? 100%,” the two-time MVP said. “If there’s an opportunity that comes across my desk to be an owner in sports, anything, I would consider it 100%. In the real NBA, I don’t know if I have that type of money. If I ever come into a position where I’m able to make that decision and it won’t affect my lifestyle, my family’s lifestyle, and it won’t be too risky for my wealth and network, I will consider doing it.”
Adam Silver Addresses Tanking At All-Star Press Conference
Tanking was a hot topic at Adam Silver‘s annual All-Star weekend press conference, with the commissioner vowing that “every possible remedy” is being considered to curtail the practice, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Silver suggested the solution could involve limiting the number of teams that participate in the lottery each year. It currently includes the 14 teams that miss the playoffs, with the three worst records getting the best chance at the top pick and the odds declining with each spot.
“It’s time to take a fresh look at this and to see whether that’s an antiquated way of going about doing it,” Silver said of the lottery.
A strong draft class is providing extra incentive for teams to lose to improve their lottery odds, and Silver agrees that tanking is already worse than it’s been in past seasons. The NBA announced fines against the Jazz and Pacers this week for failing to use star players, but Silver said that’s not how the league wants to police tanking.
“I don’t think that’s the way to manage the system long term,” he said. “… It will lead to very unhealthy relationships between us and our teams.”
The commissioner addressed several other topics during his session with reporters:
- Silver confirmed that expansion will be discussed when the league’s Board of Governors meets next month, but a vote will not take place, Vardon adds. A final decision will be made at some point this year. There will be no consideration of moving a current franchise to either Seattle or Las Vegas, which Silver cited in December as two of the cities the league is eyeing for expansion teams. Silver stated there’s no set number of teams that will be added if the league decides to expand, and that decision will be made after an investigation of the marketplace.
- Silver confirmed that the NBA’s new league in Europe could be ready to begin play by the 2027/28 season, per Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Progress is being made with banking partners as well as organizations that are viewed as potential league members. He emphasized the popularity of basketball in Europe and stressed that the NBA is prepared for a lengthy commitment. “If you are looking for a short-term return, you should probably look elsewhere,” Silver said. “But we plan to be invested for years to build this base.”
- Silver stated that “no decisions have been made” regarding the Aspiration case involving the Clippers, Smith adds (Twitter link). He noted that the investigation is being conducted by an outside firm and said team officials have been cooperative. The Clippers are hosting All-Star weekend, but Silver said that hasn’t affected the timing of a ruling.
International Notes: World All-Star Team, Doncic, Bueno, Johnson
Kevin Durant threw some playful shade at the international representatives for this year’s All-Star game, Michael C. Wright writes for ESPN.
When asked about how hard his older squad that featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry (who will miss the game with a knee injury), and Kawhi Leonard will play on Sunday, Durant said the question was being posed to the wrong group.
“You should ask the Europeans and the World team if they’re going to compete,” Durant said. “… These two dudes out there, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, they don’t care about the game at all. These dudes be laying on the floor. They’re shooting from half court. But you’ve got to worry about the old heads playing hard? I can read between the lines, bro. It’s just an overall topic that everybody’s been talking about.”
Wright notes that at least one international player says he’s planning on giving it his all.
“I’ve seen the All-Star Game, and obviously it hasn’t been competitive,” said Spurs star Victor Wembanyama. “And I’ve always thought myself that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not caring. Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game not caring, thinking I’m going to lose. … I’m going to be out there, I might as well win.”
Durant was unmoved by Wembanyama’s comments.
“He said that last year too,” Durant said. “They said it was the worst All-Star Game that people watched. So we’re going to see. Who knows what’s going to happen? This format might change the game, but who knows? We’ll see.”
We have more from around the world of international basketball:
- The NBA’s deputy commissioner, Mark Tatum, recently confirmed Doncic’s interest in being a part of the NBA Europe project in Italy, Aris Barkas writes for Eurohoops. “We have talked a lot about the concept, and he really, really thinks that it’s time for the NBA to do something in Europe,” Tatum said of Doncic. The Lakers’ star recently entered into a preliminary agreement to buy the Italian team Vanoli Basket Cremona, with the intention of moving the club to Rome and having it be a part of NBA Europe.
- The NBA has wanted to find a way to work more closely with the EuroLeague, Barkas writes, and with former NBA Europe executive Chus Bueno becoming the EuroLeague CEO, that goal could quickly become a reality. Tatum said that Bueno can be a “bridge” between the two leagues. “We always said from the very beginning that we wanted to work together with the EuroLeague to align everyone in the ecosystem, and that was always our objective,” Tatum said. “And that will continue to be our objective, and I think that having Chus there, somebody we know well and who knows European basketball well, perhaps he can be a bridge between us, FIBA, and the EuroLeague clubs.” Barkas writes that the NBA is hoping for answers from potential investors by the end of March and is still eying 2027 as a potential start date for the new league.
- Alize Johnson is joining the Shenzhen Leopards in China on a “lucrative deal,” Marc Stein reports (via Twitter). Johnson, a five-year NBA veteran, appeared in a career-high 18 games with the Nets in 2020/21 and averaged 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game. He started this season with the Iowa Wolves in the G League and averaged 20.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists while shooting 41.3% on 3.9 three-point attempts per game.