Club owners rejected the reported integration terms but could continue discussing cooperation with NBA Europe.
EuroLeague club owners have rejected an NBA proposal for a joint European competition but have not ruled out further talks. La Gazzetta dello Sport and The Athletic reported the rejection; the DPA news agency also said the decision was not a final refusal to cooperate.
At a meeting in Cernobbio, Italy, club representatives agreed to advance a process to convert the current 10-year licences into franchises for the 13 shareholder clubs of ECA, DPA reported. Further expansion of the league remains under consideration, with no final decision. Reports on the NBA offer said it called for a pause in expansion plans.
The NBA plans to launch NBA Europe with FIBA in October 2027. Paris, London and Berlin are among the major cities being considered as team locations. Without an agreement with the EuroLeague, European club basketball could develop into competing continental competitions.
FC Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer called the meeting constructive and said work on the EuroLeague’s future would continue over the coming weeks and months. The EuroLeague did not mention NBA Europe in its statement after the meeting.