Adam Silver Says NBA Will 'Get Something Worked Out' With EuroLeague After Shareholders Rejected Its Offer

Since the NBA unveiled NBA Europe this summer with a target launch of October 2027, the plan has run into its first formal rejection: earlier this week, EuroLeague's shareholders turned down the NBA's offer to fold Europe's top competition into the new league. On Friday, Oct. 9, Commissioner Adam Silver answered that setback in an interview with CNBC's Contessa Brewer, speaking from Macao, where the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets opened the 2026 NBA China Games.

"We're going to get something worked out," Silver said. "It's like any negotiation. It's ongoing."

Silver: 'Too Extreme' to Call It a Rough Patch

Brewer asked whether talks had hit a rough patch. Silver rejected the description. "I think it's too extreme to say it's a rough patch," he said. "We've been going back and forth with EuroLeague."

He described EuroLeague as "the existing pan-regional league right now in Europe" and "the top-tier competition." He also pointed to the sprawl underneath it: "It's hard to believe there are 1,200 professional clubs in Europe."

Asked directly whether the NBA would launch without EuroLeague, Silver said: "Yes, but we're going to get something worked out with them."

What EuroLeague's Owners Did

EuroLeague has 13 shareholder clubs, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Olympiakos. Three sources briefed on the vote told The Athletic's Joe Vardon that the shareholders rejected an NBA proposal to merge Europe's top competition into NBA Europe. La Gazzetta dello Sport and other outlets have reported that the same shareholders also put planned EuroLeague expansion on hold, which the NBA had asked for.

The Athletic's sources described the rejection as "expected." One said there remains "a willingness to negotiate," but that the owners "didn't like the terms." Another source told the outlet at least six EuroLeague teams are open to a merger with NBA Europe.

Not every club is on the same page. "A few clubs are anti-NBA Europe, but a bulk of the clubs (just) didn't like the proposal," one European team executive told The Athletic.

The Timeline Question

The NBA's plan calls for 12 permanent franchises plus four spots that clubs could earn through domestic leagues and tournaments. Silver named London, Paris, Rome, Munich, Barcelona, Athens and Madrid among the markets for the permanent teams.

The league still targets October 2027. A source from a likely NBA Europe franchise told The Athletic that without a EuroLeague deal, that date would be "impossible." Silver has not conceded any delay, and he did not address that assessment in the comments released Friday.

Bids Are Coming In

Silver said the NBA has received bids for the 12 permanent teams worth "many hundreds of millions of dollars" from existing European basketball clubs, "some of the big soccer brands in Europe," and wealthy individuals. In some markets, he said, groups are starting clubs from scratch.

"It's a sort of once and forever opportunity to be the NBA team in London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, some of the top markets in Europe, some of the top markets in the world," Silver said.

NBC Sports has reported that the NBA is expecting franchise fees of $500 million to $1 billion for each of the 12 permanent teams. Silver did not give a per-team figure in Friday's interview.

At last month's Board of Governors meeting, Silver made the case for a deal. "We believe that [NBA Europe] would be strengthened by joining forces with the EuroLeague," he said. "It doesn't have to happen, but I think we all would be better off as a unified front in Europe."

WNBA Teams Could Head to Macao

Silver also said the NBA is working on sending two WNBA teams to Macao as soon as next season. "We are interested in having the women come here," he said, calling the arena "beautiful." A person familiar with the plans told CNBC the teams would play a preseason game or two, mirroring the NBA's current format.

On the search for a new WNBA commissioner, Silver said it "just started" and that there is "tremendous interest in the job."

What Comes Next

The two sides are still talking, and each has leverage. The NBA says it will launch regardless and has bids in hand. EuroLeague's shareholders have shown they can block a merger on terms they dislike. Whether a revised offer can satisfy them in time to keep the October 2027 date remains unresolved, and neither the NBA nor EuroLeague has set a deadline for the next round.