NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the league is finalizing bids for potential franchise owners of the new NBA-FIBA European league, with a planned launch in the fall of 2027. The update came after the Board of Governors meeting held on Tuesday, July 15, 2026, in Las Vegas.
According to Silver, Milan and Rome are among the 12 target cities identified to host franchises in the new tournament. Completing the list are London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Berlin, Athens, and Istanbul. The league has received what Silver described as "tremendous interest" from more cities than it had initially solicited.
"We've had tremendous interest from multiple cities in Europe, including cities that we didn't ask for bids from," Silver said. "And we discussed with our board today that we're in the process of finalizing those bids for an initial group of cities."
Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum plan to meet with interested groups during the FIFA 2026 World Cup final weekend, scheduled for Sunday, July 19, in New York. Many potential investors will already be in the area for the event, making it an ideal opportunity to advance negotiations.
The new European league, born from the partnership between the NBA and FIBA officially announced last year, represents one of the most ambitious projects in European basketball history. After years of speculation, the project has taken concrete shape with timelines tightening: the launch is expected in just over a year.
"Things are where I hope they would be," Silver said, confirming that plans are proceeding on schedule. The NBA is evaluating both city bids and ownership groups interested in acquiring franchises, with the goal of creating a competitive league that could revolutionize basketball in Europe.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/nba-board-of-governors-europe-expansion-kawhi-2a2f0282b9c251d26cd6c49d6614486e
