NBA aim for response from European league investors by March

The NBA is forging ahead with plans for a European league and expects initial responses from potential investors by the end of March, the league's deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said Thursday.

"We've told the potential investors we need to know their level of interest by the end of March," Tatum told a group of journalists in Los Angeles ahead of the NBA's All-Star weekend.

"That's the timeline where we're expecting these dozens of investors to come back and say, 'Yes, we're interested in this market, at this price,'" Tatum added.

The league aims to finalize the project by autumn 2027, Tatum said.

The proposed competition would feature 12 permanent franchises and four qualifying teams, created in partnership with FIBA, basketball's global governing body.