With one high-profile coach in Europe already calling for a EuroLeague-NBA Europe merger, Adam Silver intimated Wednesday that a collaboration between the dueling leagues is an emerging priority.
“I think for the betterment of European basketball, the best outcome would be if we came together with the EuroLeague here and that we came up with a systematic approach to growing the game throughout Europe,” Silver said at his Board of Governors news conference in New York. “That means complementing the country leagues, working together with the EuroLeague and working together with our federation, FIBA.”
Through the investment bankers JP Morgan and Raine, the prospective 12-team NBA Europe has been on the market, with all bids expected in by the end of March. NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum updated the BOG this week on the venture, and there continues to be belief that franchise fees will range from $500M to $1B. Once those bids arrive, the BOG will likely greenlight the league, perhaps as soon as April.
There is also seemingly a timely thaw between the NBA and EuroLeague, which both have interest in in the most marquee European franchises, such as Real Madrid and Barcelona. EuroLeague, over the winter, gave all of its teams soft deadlines to extend their contracts for another 10 years, but many of those clubs also had buyouts in place – convenient if they eventually wanted to join the fledgling NBA Europe.
If the leagues merge or collaborate in some fashion, though, everyone could benefit, which is the preference of the renowned Italian Coach Ettore Messina, who has won four EuroLeague titles and spent five seasons as a Spurs assistant coach under Gregg Popovich.
“In the NBA, where there are 30 teams, 16 make the playoffs plus four in the play-in — two-thirds of the league,” Messina said told the European publication Corriere della Sera. “You can rotate tired players, you can even accept some losses. In the EuroLeague, six teams qualify directly and four go to the play-in — 10 out of 20, only half. It’s too narrow a funnel. That’s why every game counts, but injuries keep piling up.
“When people tell me, ‘You want the Americans to come at all costs,’ I say yes — it would bring better alignment between financial goals and sporting results. Ideally, there would be a merger with the EuroLeague.”
If there actually is momentum toward a merger, it can’t hurt that Silver on Wednesday again specifically mentioned his working relationship with new EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno, the NBA’s former VP of Europe, Africa and Middle East & Managing Director of NBA Spain. Sources indicate the two of them have been in continued correspondence.