NBA lays out vision for Europe league, eyes launch in 2027

NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum pulled the curtain back a little further on the league’s long-planned European project, telling reporters at the Sports Business Journal Dealmakers conference that momentum is building toward a fall 2027 launch.

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic and Tom Friend of SBJ both relayed the details.

Tatum said the NBA expects to anchor permanent franchises in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Greece.

He even threw out a few names that would immediately give the league credibility — Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and LDLC ASVEL among them.

“There’s nothing definitive yet,” Tatum told The Athletic. “We’re having conversations with lots of potential investors. The mix will be some existing clubs, some soccer teams that don’t currently have basketball, and some built from scratch.”

Tatum described the NBA Europe vision as “almost like the Champions League of basketball,” with global brands such as Real, Barca, Man City, PSG, AC Milan all potentially fielding basketball teams.

“That’s pretty compelling,” he said.

A major hinge point is licensing. Many EuroLeague clubs are expected to see their licenses expire after the 2025-26 season. Several teams have not signed extensions, which would make them free to jump to the NBA’s league once those agreements lapse.

“When those licenses are up, they’re free to go play in whatever league they want,” Tatum said.

Formal approval from NBA owners is still pending, but Tatum made it sound like a matter of timing, not uncertainty. Bidding for NBA Europe teams is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026, assuming all necessary approvals from owners and FIBA.

If the league hits its timeline, year one in 2027 would be a scaled-down “play-in” season, allowing clubs from countries such as Lithuania, Serbia and Croatia to vie for entry into the full league beginning in 2028/29.

The NBA believes a strong European league will help keep top prospects at home while still offering high-level development and real earnings potential. Tatum said the goal is for NBA Europe to be the second-best league in the world.

“If the NBA is players one through 450, [NBA] Europe is 450 through 900,” he said.

There’s even talk of competition between the two leagues. Tatum said preseason tournaments featuring NBA and NBA Europe teams could be in play immediately, with the medium-term possibility of top European clubs earning spots in the NBA Cup.

So yes, that could mean Knicks vs. PSG, Lakers vs. Real Madrid, Bulls vs. Man City. And maybe one day, Barcelona playing its way into the NBA’s in-season tournament.

The NBA isn’t just planting a flag in Europe. It’s trying to build a second league to match the first.