After turning down the NBA’s initial proposal for a merger, EuroLeague shareholders are expected to present the NBA with a counter-offer in the coming weeks, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the NBA has been interested in a model that would allow teams to compete in their respective domestic leagues on weekends while playing in NBA Europe games during the week. The NBA would also push for expanded rosters in order to ensure teams have the depth necessary to compete in multiple leagues, with a focus on “investing in European player development,” Windhorst writes.
Urbonas hears from sources familiar with the discussions that the NBA’s proposal represented a “significant” improvement over what the league was presenting in earlier negotiations. Still, there’s a major gap between NBA Europe and the EuroLeague that still needs to be bridged in order for the two sides to come to an agreement. According to Urbonas, EuroLeague team owners weren’t sold on the short- and long-term financial benefits of giving the NBA control over the new league.
Confirming prior reporting, Urbonas suggests that NBA Europe’s launch could be delayed until the fall of 2028 if the league can’t reach a deal with the EuroLeague. The NBA has been targeting the fall of 2027, but might need some extra time to prepare for the debut of its own European league if it doesn’t have access to the EuroLeague’s existing infrastructure.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Following his August retirement, veteran NBA guard Russell Westbrook will be recognized by the city of Los Angeles for his 18-year playing career and his local community work, according to Christine Samra of KLTA 5. The ceremony, which will see city councilwoman Heather Hutt present Westbrook with a Council certificate, will take place on Friday at 10:00 am local time at L.A. City Hall. A former NBA MVP and nine-time All-Star, Westbrook established the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation in 2012 to help underserved communities in the L.A. area.
- ESPN’s Zach Kram considers how the NBA’s new anti-tanking rules will affect the 2026/27 season, predicting that we’ll see fewer blowouts, more compressed standings, and more familiar late-season rotations, as opposed to ones dominated by players on two-way and 10-day contracts.
- Will Guillory, Jason Jones, and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic debate which NBA players are the least likely to be traded and which stars could more realistically be on the move within the next calendar year. Suns guard Devin Booker, Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Rockets forward Kevin Durant each earned a vote from The Athletic’s trio as a star who might emerge as a trade candidate in 2027.
Source: www.hoopsrumors.com
