Commissioner of the NBA Adam Silver said perfect result for Europe, the NBA would partner with the Euroleague in a new venture expected to begin before the 2027/28 season. General Director of the Euroleague Chus Buenoalso a longtime former NBA executive views this scenario potentially exists mutually beneficial.
However, an agreement between the NBA and the EuroLeague has not yet been reached, says Buena Streisand Neto from Reuters that the EuroLeague will only be interesting if it makes sense for both parties. Bueno reiterates that the EuroLeague is open to partnering with the NBA to avoid direct competition, but the league is also open to continuing on its own.
“If we don’t do a deal in Europe, we will compete in Europe … that’s a discussion we’ve had internally, and if we need to, we’re ready“, – said Buena, CEO of the EuroLeague from February 2026. “It has to be a partnership that works for both of us, not just one of us.
“We know that the NBA can help run things, so we should follow the NBA and they should follow the local IP (brand value) of the clubs because they have been on the ground for 100 years and can bring a lot to the NBA.”
The EuroLeague is in talks with several major European cities about possible expansion of the franchise, according to Buen, who says Paris, London, Naples and Milan are among the locations under consideration. In the 2027/28 season, the EuroLeague plans to increase the number of teams from 20 to 24 after adding eight new permanent franchises.
“When you have two leagues … it will fragment the value, both institutionally and commercially, in terms of media rights, fan attendance” Buena said of NBA Europe.”We both said that if we didn’t have a deal, we should go ahead with our plans. So, as you know, they continue this process, and I continue with my plan.”