CERNOBBIO, Italy — La Gazzetta dello Sport reported Wednesday that EuroLeague’s club owners will meet Oct. 5 at Villa d’Este on Lake Como. The agenda includes a potential NBA offer to acquire the competition. Olimpia Milano is organizing it. The formal name is the Assembly of Syndicate Shareholders of EuroLeague Commercial Assets.
The NBA Board of Governors is set for Monday, and an offer could follow. Otherwise, shareholders decide whether to proceed to the operational phase of the Transformational Strategic plan. Chus Bueno, chief executive of EuroLeague Basketball, has already presented the plan to the clubs, which involves an expanded competition and a closed franchise system. Eight new EuroLeague franchises are expected to be introduced at the Como summit.
Patrick Dumont has held the Dallas Mavericks‘ seat on the NBA Board of Governors since December 2023, when the board approved the sale of the controlling interest in the franchise from Mark Cuban to the families of Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont. On March 1, Dumont became chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands, succeeding Robert Goldstein. He was also appointed chairman of Sands China Ltd. Dumont called it “a true honor for me to serve as chairman and CEO” in the company’s announcement.
Chus Bueno’s Franchise Plan Carries Binding Offers Close to €700 Million
EuroLeague launched the franchise application process in July 2026, with up to eight long-term franchises to be awarded for the 2027-28 season. EuroLeague received over 20 formal expressions of interest from current EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, as well as new investment initiatives. Eleven proposals cleared the first screening and advanced to the next phase, whereas four are currently on hold.
All 11 pre-selected candidates submit binding bids totaling nearly €700 million in franchise fees, with projected investments over €3.2 billion in five years. The plan raises team count to 24, or 20 if CSKA Moscow is excluded. Interest comes from traditional European regions and new initiatives across Europe and the Middle East.
On Aug. 25, the ECA Board of Shareholders reviewed the roadmap approved March 3. The board then approved continued due diligence on the 11 candidates. Management presented projected year-on-year revenue growth of 15%. JB Capital projects the league and its clubs’ aggregated value at €4.3 billion by 2027. The three-year Strategic Business Plan aims for a total enterprise valuation of €2.5 billion over three seasons.
At the end of September, the due diligence findings will go to the Board of Directors and Owners. Their vote covers the final transition to the franchise model, the number of clubs in the first stage of expansion, and the names of those clubs.
Bueno said the projects selected have to “meet the highest standards and strengthen the competition both competitively and commercially.” EuroLeague signed an agreement with the EuroLeague Basketball Head Coaches Board, according to the same Aug. 25 statement. The league also listed a renewal with the officials’ union UEBO. Its framework agreement with the EuroLeague Players Association is already in place.
Patrick Dumont Holds the Dallas Mavericks Seat as the NBA Builds Its European League
The NBA is moving toward launching its own league in Europe in the fall of 2027. After the Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas in July, commissioner Adam Silver said he and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum planned to meet with several groups interested in owning teams in that league while those groups were in the New York area for the FIFA World Cup final. Silver said bids for an initial group of cities were being finalized, and cited “tremendous interest from multiple cities in Europe.”
Bueno also updated the ECA board on recent discussions with senior NBA and FIBA executives regarding potential areas of future collaboration in European basketball.
Four days after the Como meeting, Dallas plays the Houston Rockets in two preseason games at The Venetian Arena in Macao. The NBA and Sands China Ltd. announced the games as The NBA China Games 2026. Dumont, in the league’s announcement, said the 2025 edition demonstrated the strength of the NBA in creating fan engagement around the globe, and called the 2026 games “another great opportunity to showcase the league.”
