It would not be bold to say now that the NBA has a lot of interest in Europe. Currently 15% of NBA players are European. In addition, three of the top five favorites for the league’s preseason MVP are European players – Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. I haven’t even mentioned Spurs’ young superstar Victor Wembanya.
All of which goes to say, it’s no surprise that the NBA is looking to enter the European market. In December, the NBA announced alongside FIBA that they were moving forward with plans to launch a new league in Europe as early as 2027, claiming they would begin conversations with teams and owners interested in joining the league in January.
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USA TODAY Sports reached out to the NBA for the latest news on the unnamed European league. Here’s what you need to know:
What will the league bring?
“We plan to launch a 16-team league with 10 permanent teams and at least four rotation spots,” NBA senior vice president and director of international strategy Leah MacNab told USA TODAY Sports.
McNabb expanded the scope, claiming that the rotation of spots would work similarly to the relegation system used by many European football leagues.
“It’s a very European system,” McNabb said. “We want to introduce a performance-based pathway into the league so that even teams in the lower leagues have the opportunity to compete at the highest level.”
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According to MacNab, these 10 permanent teams will never leave the league. At the same time, rotation spots will provide more teams and players with the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage, which will help expand the basketball market and share the growing interest with other teams that typically don’t get such exposure.
Are there any teams currently queuing up?
Not yet.
Despite early reports that the NBA would begin conversations with teams and owners this month, MacNab claimed that such conversations have not yet occurred. McNabb even claimed that it would be “illegal” if the NBA had begun talking to teams. The process of finding teams to fill the league’s vacancies will begin soon, but has not yet begun.
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Why did they choose to start this league now?
Basketball is becoming more and more popular in Europe. This is the bottom line. Basketball has become Europe’s second most popular sport, with more than 270 million fans across the continent, according to Mark Pozin, head of national media partnerships and international communications. Additionally, the two most viewed players globally on NBA social media are European players: Luka Doncic (Slovenia; over 845 million views; No. 1 overall) and Victor Wembanyam (France; over 708 million views; No. 2 overall).
Pair these popular players with the NBA playing two games in Europe, and there’s good reason to believe the NBA could significantly expand its market with a league across the Atlantic.
Will we see an NBA team in Europe soon?
MacNab is interested in the idea, but says such a concept is still a long way off. The league will not consider this option in the near future. Still, even Americans are becoming more interested in international basketball. After all, the theme of this year’s All-Star Game is America vs. the World.
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As it stands, future plans include more international preseason games, as well as potential matchups between NBA teams and teams in the newly formed European League. McNabb also hinted that a tournament between the two leagues could also take place, although details of the tournament such as time of year, format and more are still being worked out.
Will this affect NBA teams’ ability to sign international players?
It seems not so. According to MacNab, most of the systems currently in use will remain unchanged until further notice. When asked whether an NBA-backed European league could convince some players to stay home rather than travel to the U.S. to play in the NBA, McNabb acknowledged it was possible.
According to MacNab, NBA salaries will still be higher, which may push many players to the NBA, but ultimately it will be up to the players to decide what they want from their basketball careers and whether staying in Europe is in their best interest.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What you need to know about the NBA’s upcoming EuroLeague games