After turning down The NBA’s original merger proposal, Euroleague shareholders are expected to present a counteroffer to the NBA in the coming weeks, according to Donatos Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
According to ESPN’s Brian WindhorstThe NBA was interested in a model that would allow teams to compete in their domestic leagues on weekends while playing NBA Europe games during the week. The NBA will also seek to expand rosters to provide teams with the depth needed to compete in multiple leagues, with an emphasis on “investing in the development of European players,” Windhorst wrote.
Urbonas learned from sources familiar with the discussions that the NBA’s offer represents a “significant” improvement over what the league presented in previous negotiations. However, there is a large gap between NBA Europe and the Euroleague that still needs to be bridged for both sides to come to an agreement. According to Urbonas, EuroLeague team owners were not satisfied with the short-term and long-term financial benefits of giving the NBA control of the new league.
Confirming previous information, Urbonas suggests that the launch of NBA Europe could be delayed until the fall of 2028 if the league cannot reach an agreement with the Euroleague. The NBA is targeting the fall of 2027, but may need additional time to prepare for the debut of its own European league if it does not have access to the existing Euroleague infrastructure.
Here are more odds and ends from around the world of basketball:
- Following his own August retirementveteran NBA defender Russell Westbrook will be recognized by the city of Los Angeles for his 18-year playing career and community service, according to KLTA 5’s Christine Samra. A ceremony in which City Councilwoman Heather Hutt will present Westbrook with a Council Certificate will take place on Friday at 10:00 a.m. local time at Los Angeles City Hall. A former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star, Westbrook created Russell Westbrook, why not? Foundation in 2012 to help underserved communities in Los Angeles.
- ESPN’s Zach Crum looks at how the NBA’s new anti-tank rules will affect the 2026/27 season, predicting we’ll see fewer blowouts, tighter standings and more familiar late-season rotations, as opposed to those dominated by players on two-way and 10-day contracts.
- Will Guillory, Jason Jones and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic discuss which NBA players are least likely to be traded and which stars could more realistically be traded in the next calendar year. The sun security guard Devin Booker, Pelicans forward Zion Williamsonand Rockets forward Kevin Durant each earned The Athletic trio’s vote as a potential 2027 trade candidate.