The NBA is already taking formal steps to launch a new professional competition in Europe and has begun to present the project to potential investors. According to reports Bloombergthe league – known internally as NBA Europe – contemplates valuations of up to 1,000 million dollars per franchise, placing itself since its origin on the front line of global sport as an investment asset and not only as a sports project.

According to the information from the aforementioned media, the initial proposal would involve a league of 16 teams, with 12 permanent franchises and four additional places that would be accessed through competitive means. The NBA would maintain 50% ownership of the competition, while the rest would be distributed between local owners and FIBA, which participates in strategic conversations. In the coming days, the organization will open its data room to share financial projections, governance structure and growth scenarios with stakeholders, a move that confirms that the project has passed the exploratory phase and is entering executive territory.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will also take advantage of the holding of official regular season games in London and Berlin to defend the project in person before investors, business partners and potential owners. Both cities are among the candidates to host franchises in the future league, which could be launched from the 2027-2028 season. Silver has been publicly pointing to Europe as the NBA’s biggest pending growth market for years, both in viewership and business, and this move formalizes a long-expressed ambition.

The sporting and market context reinforces the bet. This season, 71 European players started the season on NBA squads, a historical high that reflects both the maturity of the continent’s talent and the consolidation of European basketball as a key pool of the NBA ecosystem. Added to this is the commercial attractiveness of large European capitals, global audiences and new investor profiles, such as funds, family offices and sports owners, interested in stable and scalable assets.

However, the progress of the project also opens a scenario of structural friction. NBA Europe would have to fit into an already existing ecosystem, with a direct impact on competitions such as the Euroleague, whose clubs face key strategic decisions in the coming months: reinforce their commitment to the current model or explore alternatives that promise greater financial muscle, centralized governance and a different international projection. This is not just a sporting choice, but a far-reaching business decision that affects the control of the business, the entry of capital, audiovisual rights and the future of European basketball as an industry.