Laporta attends EuroLeague summit to weigh NBA Europe project and new franchises

FC Barcelona leadership arrived at a decisive 13-club EuroLeague summit at Lake Como in Italy to weigh a structural transformation of European basketball against a high-stakes proposal from the NBA, Mundo Deportivo reported. Club president Joan Laporta leads a high-powered delegation that includes basketball section directors Sisco Pujol and Jaume Nicolàs, board secretary Josep Cubells, and professional sports director Xavier O’Callaghan.

EuroLeague Considers Franchise Model and Expansion to 24 Teams

The closed-door meetings in northern Italy bring together the 13 owner clubs of the EuroLeague to evaluate major structural shifts for the continent. Agenda items include converting member clubs into franchises and adding eight new entries to expand the competition to 24 teams starting next season. Candidates under consideration for those eight expansion slots span multiple markets, featuring Valencia Basket in Spain, Paris Basketball in France, and Virtus Bologna alongside Napoli Basket and Roma Maxima in Italy. Additional candidates include Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece, Partizan and Red Star in Serbia, London Lions in England, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem in Israel, and a franchise representing Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The NBA Europa Proposal and Ownership Stakes

Alongside internal EuroLeague expansion plans, delegates face a concrete proposal from the NBA regarding its planned NBA Europa competition, targeted for an October 2027 launch. EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno and participating clubs must decide whether to partner with the American league or pursue an independent path under the competition’s new format. AEK Athens owner Makis Angelopoulos stated in an interview with Sport24 that the NBA’s offer could involve an absorption of the EuroLeague for a fusion. Other information suggests the NBA could acquire the European entity. The North American league has maintained that it intends to launch NBA Europa regardless of EuroLeague participation, raising the prospect of two competing continental leagues operating simultaneously.

NBA Targets Barcelona and Real Madrid as Anchor Brands

The NBA views FC Barcelona and Real Madrid as essential anchor brands necessary to validate the commercial reach of its European project. Earlier this year, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Pau Gasol met with Laporta in London to discuss potential alignment. Gasol, who is slated to hold a role within NBA Europa yet to be defined, addressed the financial realities of European basketball during an appearance at the All-Star weekend. Gasol told Mundo Deportivo that the initiative aims to build a sustainable model rather than a deficit-ridden sport with greater long-term growth margins. FC Barcelona operates its basketball section under a rising payroll—climbing from 28 to 36 million euros—while seeking new revenue avenues to offset traditional operating losses.

Statute Modifications and Private Investment Hurdles

Pursuing the NBA Europa model introduces substantial structural hurdles for FC Barcelona due to its ownership structure as a club owned by its members rather than a sports corporation (SAD). Entering the NBA Europa framework reportedly carries an entry fee ranging between 430 and 860 million euros, requiring external investment. To accommodate outside capital, Barcelona would likely need to modify club statutes to create a commercial company, exposing the institution to the risk of losing control over its basketball section. Meanwhile, the club continues separate financial planning to fund the construction of the new Palau Blaugrana, evaluating proposals where an external company finances the arena in exchange for fifty-year operating rights over non-club events.