Adam Silver is preparing a major transformation! European teams may join NBA games, with a new league potentially launching in two years

On September 27th Beijing time, with the NBA's global reach expanding, Commissioner Adam Silver revealed an ambitious future plan: teams from other continents could face American teams in regular season or playoff matches. Besides grassroots basketball initiatives in Europe and Africa and the NBA Global Series, the league is currently preparing to launch a new league in Europe, expected to start in 2027 or 2028. Soon, fans might witness international matchups between European teams and existing American franchises.

Silver envisions gradually incorporating international teams into the league schedule by modifying the NBA Cup (mid-season tournament) and even the NBA playoffs. Building on this, intercontinental regular season games could become a practical next step.

“We have a mid-season tournament called the ‘NBA Cup,’” Silver said at the Bloomberg Philanthropy Global Forum. “It’s conceivable that in the future, teams from Europe and even Africa could participate in this event. Perhaps one day, you’ll see top teams from other leagues entering our playoffs.”

The new European league might recruit existing successful clubs to form its roster. It is reported that Silver met with Real Madrid this summer regarding potential membership; considering Real Madrid’s recent involvement in American sports by hosting NFL games this season, the cooperation could be mutual. Basketball's rapid growth in Europe and the influx of European talent into the NBA suggest this proposed European league has great potential for success.

“Given time, especially in Europe, with improvements in air travel speed... For example, since flights from New York to Los Angeles are feasible, if we have 14 teams in Europe, there’s no reason we can’t schedule trips like this: (U.S. teams) first play the Knicks or Nets, then fly to London to play three or four games in Europe before returning,” Silver explained. “I believe this is entirely doable within our league.”

For the NBA, holding intercontinental regular season games is not a completely new idea—over decades, the NBA Global Series has sent teams to Japan, Mexico, the UK, and France multiple times. On January 15, 2026, Germany will join this list by hosting a game between the Grizzlies and Magic. However, having “meaningful matchups” with teams from these and other regions (meaning games that count toward official standings) remains a novel concept.

Promoting international competitions is a key focus for Silver. Earlier this year, he mentioned the NBA is considering a new format for the All-Star Game that incorporates stronger “national/regional characteristics,” similar to the NHL’s “Four Nations” competition introduced last year.

“I don’t think a simple ‘USA vs. World’ format holds much significance, and the NHL didn’t adopt that straightforward approach either,” Silver said this summer. “In the future, we might form different team lineups based on regional affiliations—after all, as I mentioned before, international players currently make up 30% of the league, while American players are still 70%. So I believe we can leverage this ‘national/regional identity’ to create more engaging events.”