Are NBA owners fearing idea of potential rival league involving Maverick Carter?

Speculation about a new international professional basketball league backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and Maverick Carter, business partner of LeBron James, has gained traction since first emerging in January, with former NBA columnist and current sports media personality Bill Simmons reversing his initial skepticism.

During a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the founder of The Ringer discussed the NBA’s current landscape with Kirk Goldsberry. Simmons, who had previously dismissed the idea of a rival league as far-fetched, now believes it could be a legitimate possibility.

He suggested that Carter and his associates may have the financial resources and a strategy to create a viable alternative to the NBA.

“They’ve got a significant amount of money for this and a plan,” Simmons said. “Everything I’ve heard is that it’s kind of real. I don’t know if they have all the money yet, but they have enough that — could you form a six-team league and convince five, six, seven stars to basically jump when their contracts are up?”

Simmons, a former ESPN columnist, speculated that the prospective league might target Lakers star Luka Doncic, who could become a free agent in 2026. While the notion of a player of Doncic’s stature leaving the NBA for an unproven league may seem unlikely, Saudi Arabia’s financial influence has already disrupted the worlds of golf and soccer.

“Could this be a LIV situation?” Simmons asked, referring to the Saudi-backed golf league. “What does he care? He doesn’t have any loyalty to the NBA. He just got traded. Could you build a league and have like six, seven Luka-type guys?”

Simmons suggested that offering Doncic a substantial contract, a shorter season, and a prominent role could be enticing.

“I think it’s real,” he said. “And I think the NBA owners are a little more worried about it than has been reported so far.”

Although Simmons may not have the insider status of some prominent NBA reporters, his connections within the league, particularly at the ownership level, lend weight to his comments. His shift in perspective adds renewed interest to a story that many, including Simmons himself, had initially downplayed two months ago.