NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed on Tuesday that talks with the EuroLeague are advancing and that further announcements on the NBA Europe project will come "over the next several weeks," setting the stage for a pivotal October 5 meeting that could reshape the continent's basketball landscape.
Speaking to reporters after the Board of Governors meeting in New York, Silver described the venture as a "once and forever opportunity" and said the league is in active discussions about acquiring a majority stake in the EuroLeague — a move that would merge the NBA's European ambitions with the continent's premier club competition rather than create a rival.
"We believe the league would be strengthened by joining forces with the EuroLeague," Silver said. "It doesn't have to happen, but I think we would all be better off as a unified front in Europe."
The remarks represent the most concrete public confirmation to date that the NBA is pursuing not just a standalone European league but an outright takeover or deep partnership with the existing EuroLeague structure. Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who has been leading the negotiations, presented the progress report to the owners alongside discussions about expansion into Las Vegas and Seattle.
The October 5 decision point
The stakes of Silver's comments become clearer against the backdrop of EuroLeague's own shareholder meeting, scheduled for October 5 in Cernobbio, Italy. On that date, the league's 13 club owners will vote on the future direction of the competition — whether to accept the NBA's proposal, pursue an independent franchise-based model, or chart a different course entirely.
EuroLeague has been preparing for both scenarios. According to Basketball Sphere, the league is expecting a formal proposal from the NBA ahead of the Cernobbio meeting. If the offer arrives, it will be added to an agenda that already includes discussion of EuroLeague's own franchise model and expansion plans.
That parallel strategy reflects the leverage both sides hold. The NBA brings financial firepower and global broadcast reach; EuroLeague holds the clubs, the tradition, and the competitive infrastructure that any European venture would need to be credible.
What NBA Europe would look like
Silver and Tatum envision an NBA Europe competition launching in the fall of 2027, initially with 12 permanent franchises. But the shape of that league depends heavily on whether EuroLeague clubs join the project.
If a merger materialises, not all 13 current EuroLeague teams would necessarily make the cut. Silver acknowledged that structural questions remain unresolved — including the salary system for players, how television rights would be aggregated, the division of responsibilities between the league and local markets, and plans for multiple new arenas across Europe.
"Some of them would prefer to wait longer to launch," Silver said of potential investors. "But I do think it's important that we introduce the competition into the market next summer. The initial product will be different from when we have ultimately brought all the teams together."
The financial scale of the EuroLeague acquisition remains unclear. The Sports Business Journal reported that top-franchise valuations — Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, and Olympiacos — sit in the $370 million range, while the remaining clubs span from roughly $69 million to $345 million. An outright majority purchase would require billions.
The alternative: EuroLeague goes alone
Should the October 5 vote reject the NBA's overture, EuroLeague has a ready-made alternative. The league has already received more than 20 expressions of interest in its own franchise model, with 11 candidates advancing to due diligence and binding offers totalling approximately €700 million in franchise fees.
EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno has been publicly preparing for that contingency. In recent comments, he said the league would "compete" if the NBA deal fell through, pointing to the franchise expansion plan that could grow the competition to 24 teams from 2027-28, including 21 permanent franchises.
The existence of that fallback plan gives EuroLeague's shareholders something the NBA may not have anticipated: genuine negotiating power. Club owners know they have a viable path independent of American involvement, which could influence the terms of any deal Silver puts on the table.
A historic crossroads
Basketball in Europe is approaching its most significant structural moment since the creation of the EuroLeague itself in 2000. The convergence of the NBA's European ambitions, the EuroLeague's franchise transformation, and the financial interests of club owners across the continent has created a rare alignment of forces.
Silver framed the moment in sweeping terms. "We truly see it as a once and forever opportunity — historic in terms of what this could mean, not just for basketball, but for the European sports landscape — and we want to get it right."
Whether "getting it right" means a transatlantic merger or a competitive coexistence, the answer is expected to take shape in the weeks leading up to October 5. For now, both sides are talking, the clock is ticking, and European basketball's future hangs on the outcome.
Sources
https://www.eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/2008466/adam-silver-we-anticipate-additional-nba-europe-announcements-in-the-coming-weeks/
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/09/15/silver-nba-exploring-majority-purchase-of-euroleague/
https://basketballsphere.com/en/nba-proposal-euroleague-october-5-meeting/
