NBA, EuroLeague To Meet This Week To Talk Partnership
Chus Bueno, the EuroLeague CEO, is set to meet with NBA executive George Aivazoglou this week as they enter into conversation to determine if the two leagues will be able to collaborate on a joint venture in Europe, Mike Vorkunov writes for The Athletic.
Previous iterations of the NBA’s plans to expand into Europe had not included the EuroLeague, which had rejected the NBA’s previous partnership offers, but Vorkunov notes that those negotiations took place under former EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas. The change in leadership has put a possible partnership back on the table. Bueno, a former NBA executive, says that he’s open to the possibilities that the negotiations could allow for.
“We think that everything is on the table,” he said. “And I know what the NBA brings to the table, and I know that the NBA would like to operate (a league). And let’s have a discussion. If it makes sense for the teams, why not? You’re going to hear this from me. If it makes sense, why not? And this makes sense. Everything is on the table. But it has to make sense — business reasons, basketball reasons, and I think it’s (too early) to define because I want to hear from the NBA first. But we are open to any scenario.”
The NBA is seeking expansion fees between $500MM and $1 billion, as has previously been reported. While the NBA’s European league would almost certainly result in the creation of new clubs, the league is interested in bringing existing teams into the fold as well, Vorkunov writes. That means the 13 core EuroLeague teams have had to weigh whether to commit to their current league or explore jumping ship to NBA Europe.
“If they come, our recommendation to all the clubs is: sit down all together and have a conversation with the NBA and investors and everything that they have to the table,” Bueno said. “Sit down, trying to see how we can merge, partner, you name it, put the name and create the best basketball ecosystem and the best league possible. Because what I believe is that if we have two colleagues appearing on fragmentation, one team here, one thing there is not going to be good for anyone.”
Bueno says that his ideal outcome would be a merging of the NBA and EuroLeague into one larger enterprise, but he didn’t rule out the idea of the NBA outright buying the EuroLeague. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has previously expressed that the joining of the two leagues would be his preference as well.
“I think that I could be a little bit of glue, because I know both organizations,” Bueno told Vorkunov. “And I know there is trust among us. So, if I say something, I mean it. We will both negotiate, and we both are trying to do what’s the best deal for our partners. We have to win (for) everyone. If there is someone that is winning the negotiation, but isn’t balancing the execution, the execution is not going to work. … I think that both organizations can help each other a lot.”
And-Ones: Silver, NBA Europe, Lopez, Milton
Speaking at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum (Twitter video link via Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic), commissioner Adam Silver suggested teams competing in NBA-run leagues in other continents could eventually participate in official NBA games.
“You could imagine teams from Europe, potentially Africa, competing in (the NBA Cup),” Silver said (transcript via Eurohoops). “You possibly could see teams coming into our playoffs, top seeds from other leagues.
“But over time, I think, for example, certainly in Europe, as plane travel gets faster… I’m reading all the time about more opportunities in aviation. When I think of the flight from New York to LA, for example, there’s no reason that if we had four teams in Europe, you couldn’t travel, play the Knicks or Nets, travel to London, play three or four times in Europe, and come back home. So I think it’s very doable in our league.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an interview with Eduardo Tansley of The Athletic, NBA Europe and Middle East managing director George Aivazoglou discussed the three types of teams that could join the NBA’s proposed European league, as well as its big-picture goals. “I hope we establish European basketball from a sporting competitive level at the top, almost on par, in terms of interest as European football,” the Greek executive said. “We want to create a new era, an innovative product that would attract audiences from all over the world and across all demographics, not just hardcore basketball fans, who would also be very happy watching it. And (we hope) to ensure that the development of the talent grows even stronger, and ensure that the value that gets created gets redistributed to the European basketball ecosystem so that it continues to improve.” Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops passes along some other highlights from the interview for those who don’t subscribe to The Athletic.
- Eric Gomez of ESPN.com recently wrote a feature story on projected 2026 lottery pick Karim Lopez, who could be the first Mexican first-rounder in NBA history. Lopez, a 6’9″ forward who plays for the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League, hopes his favorite player is still around if he’s drafted next year. “I hope LeBron (James) is still there if I get to the NBA,” the 18-year-old said. “Anything can happen, but I hope he’s there so I can play with or against my idol. … I mean, in the end, I’m not (in the NBA) yet, I have to keep working to get to that moment and make my dreams come true.”
- After seven seasons in the NBA, veteran guard Shake Milton signed a two-year deal with Serbian club Partizan Belgrade this summer. The 29-year-old says he’s still adjusting to the different playing style in Europe, according to Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops. “The biggest adjustment is just the different style of the game,” Milton told Eurohoops. “I’ve been playing one way for seven years, so now I have to adapt. It’s a challenge, but I’m excited. I’ve already started to make some adjustments, and the fun part is knowing I can get even better than I’ve been. I know it’ll all come together.”
Latest On NBA’s Potential European League
The NBA continues to explore creating a new European league, including leadership meetings with potential teams, stakeholders and investors over the past week.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, commissioner Adam Silver, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and the NBA’s European and Middle East director George Aivazoglou met with Real Madrid on Thursday in Paris about the possibility of the Spanish powerhouse joining the proposed league.
As Vardon writes, Real Madrid currently has a guaranteed spot in the EuroLeague, but its license expires in 2026. Sources tell Vardon that if Real Madrid decides to join the NBA’s new venture, other EuroLeague teams are considered likely to follow.
Real Madrid is the most decorated EuroLeague team in history. Dating back to when the competition was known as the FIBA European Champions Cup, the Spanish club has racked up 11 championships and made the finals a total of 21 times — both league records.
In addition to Real Madrid, Barcelona (Spain), ASVEL Basket (France) and reigning champion Fenerbahce (Turkey) are viewed as EuroLeague teams that might defect to the NBA’s new league, Vardon reports.
Silver and other top NBA executives have met with Alba Berlin as well, Vardon adds. The German club previously competed in the EuroLeague but will be in the Basketball Champions League for 2025/26.
Sources tell Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal that the NBA is “all-in” on the new European league in part because it thinks “EuroLeague franchises are not being run as high-end businesses and have untapped commercial upside” (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).
According to Friend, the NBA is seeking between $500MM and $1B in licensing fees from prospective teams. While some sources have expressed skepticism that the NBA will be able to extract that high a fee, others are more bullish on the league’s chances.
“Look, the FC Barcelonas and the PSGs and the Manchester Citys, they can do [between $500M and $1B],” one source briefed on the NBA’s plan told Friend.