A Historic 'No' to the Americans: Leaked Details Reveal the Huge NBA Bid Rejected by EuroLeague

The American financial package and business model were reportedly deemed both insufficient and "colonialist," considering that EuroLeague's current valuation sits at roughly €1.4 billion. Furthermore, entering the NBA system would mean a complete loss of independence and operational control for the European clubs.

According to information leaked from the meeting in Italy and reported by Spanish radio network Cadena SER, the NBA presented an aggressive business plan that allegedly projected a fourfold increase in EuroLeague's current revenues. However, the entry terms for the proposed league entity were steep:

To join the new competition, each club would be required to commit a staggering €440 million. The NBA offered structured financing options: clubs would pay $150 million up front, $125 million would be backed through low-interest NBA loan facilities, and the remaining $165 million would come from outside investors in exchange for roughly 30% equity in the clubs themselves.

In return, the NBA guaranteed approximately €150 million in revenue per club over a 10-year span—a figure that EuroLeague already guarantees its members without requiring massive upfront capital investment.

The NBA has made no secret of its desire to launch a European league by autumn 2027, identifying 12 core target markets at all costs: London, Manchester, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Milan, Munich, Berlin, Athens, and Istanbul.

Instead of selling shares to the Americans, EuroLeague shareholders executed their own strategic maneuvers. Green-lighting an expansion of the ownership structure, the competition plans to welcome eight new clubs. Each newcomer would pay an entry fee between €50 million and €80 million, generating a windfall of approximately €40 million per founding member. Additionally, the exit fee to leave the competition was doubled from €10 million to €20 million.

Despite the firm "no" delivered in Cernobbio, sources close to the negotiations insist the door to a potential partnership has not closed entirely. EuroLeague owners are expected to submit an official counterproposal in the coming weeks.

That does not mean the NBA is waiting around. Work on the "NBA Europe" project continues independently, with insiders anticipating an imminent announcement naming the first major metropolitan areas slated to host franchises in the potential breakaway competition.

However, if no agreement is struck and the NBA launches a standalone league, the rollout of "NBA Europe" is almost certain to be pushed back from 2027 to 2028. As negotiating teams prepare their next moves, European basketball finds itself at a defining crossroads—heading either toward a unified, modernized tournament or an unprecedented civil war between two rival powerhouses.