NBA finalizing Europe league club deals, Tatum says

Oct 20 : The NBA is close to finalizing agreements with clubs for the initial phase of its own European league and plans to announce those teams soon, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said on Tuesday while adding that the door to reaching an agreement with the Euroleague remains open.

Tatum, speaking to reporters on the opening day of the 2026-27 NBA season, said the league remains undeterred in powering ahead with NBA Europe next October even after Europe’s biggest basketball clubs recently snubbed an offer to team up with the NBA.

"Well, we're we're not stopping and we're moving and proceeding as quickly as we can," Tatum said on a video call. "Our plan is to begin rolling out this project in October of 2027, which is a year from now. So we've got a lot of work to do, but we're we're moving quickly and we're not slowing down at all."

Tatum also said agreements with NBA Europe franchises are being finalized and that an announcement would be made in the "not-too-distant future". According to Tatum, the new league will result in the largest investment in European basketball, one that covers academies, grassroots development, league operations, marketing and arena infrastructure.

DIFFERENT VISION FOR EUROPEAN BASKETBALL

The NBA and world basketball governing body FIBA formally announced their plans in March for an NBA Europe venture, one that would be a mix of permanent franchises and others that would qualify on a yearly basis based on performance.

The Euroleague currently consists of 13 permanent shareholder clubs but plans to approve up to eight long-term franchise licenses as it expands to a 24-club competition with new franchises expected to be announced in mid-November.

"We have a different vision for European basketball than