The NBA is pushing hard into Europe, and the timeline just got real. The league’s ‘NBA Europe’ launch is targeting October 2027, a planned 16-team competition — 12 permanent franchises plus four slots earned annually — spanning cities like London, Paris, Madrid, Milan and Berlin. Bids for permanent spots have cleared $500 million in every target city, with several topping $1 billion. But before any of that locks in, the NBA has to get past one obstacle: Europe already has a top basketball league, and this Sunday, that league decides whether to join the ‘NBA Europe’ launch or fight it.
The ‘NBA Europe’ Launch Plan, Explained
‘NBA Europe’ is designed to work like American pro sports leagues fans already know — permanent franchises, big ownership groups, no relegation. Twelve cities are in the running, including London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Munich, Berlin, Athens and Istanbul, with four additional spots awarded each year based on performance. Soccer money is heavily involved: clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Manchester City — none of which currently field a basketball team — are circling bids, and Lakers guard Luka Dončić is reportedly backing a prospective Rome franchise. Commissioner Adam Silver has said the 2027 target isn’t moving regardless of how Sunday’s vote goes.
The Complication: Europe Already Has a Top League
Here’s what American fans don’t always realize — Europe’s club basketball scene isn’t a blank slate the NBA is building on. EuroLeague has run the continent’s top competition for 25 years, after breaking away from FIBA, the sport’s global governing body, back in 2000. And some of EuroLeague’s biggest clubs aren’t new names — they’re basketball departments of soccer giants fans already know. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Fenerbahçe have fielded EuroLeague basketball teams for decades, same ownership as their soccer sides, just a different department. That’s a different situation entirely from PSG or AC Milan, who have no basketball team to speak of. European basketball has effectively been split at the top for a generation — EuroLeague running its closed, licensed league, FIBA overseeing national federations and a lower-profile Champions League. ‘NBA Europe’, which FIBA is backing, adds a third power broker to that split.
Sunday’s Vote: Merge or Compete
That history is exactly why EuroLeague’s Oct. 5 vote in Milan matters so much. A “yes” lets EuroLeague’s existing powers — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Fenerbahçe — convert straight into NBA Europe franchises, instantly handing the new league credibility and built-in fan bases. A “no” means EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno’s backup plan kicks in: expanding EuroLeague’s own closed system to as many as 24 teams, with 21 permanent members, by 2027-28, and competing directly against the NBA for clubs, cities and TV money.
Either way, the ‘NBA Europe’ launch keeps moving toward 2027. Sunday just decides whether it arrives with Europe’s best clubs already on board, or fighting them for turf.
‘NBA Europe’ Launch in 2027 Hits a Crossroads With EuroLeague Vote