NBA Europe launch gives London, Manchester franchise race

NBA Europe is targeting an October 2027 launch with 16 teams, putting London and Manchester in line for a new basketball stage.

OG Anunoby, the New York Knicks forward and the leading current NBA player of UK origin, has backed the project. He called the plan "amazing" and said it is "going to take basketball to another level out here."

Anunoby backs UK jump

Anunoby's voice carries local weight beyond his NBA status. He has been central to the Knicks' recent rise, including a championship run that ended a title wait dating to 1973.

The UK group in the NBA is still small, which is part of the point. Anunoby sits alongside Portland Trail Blazers forward Jeremy Sochan, Boston Celtics player Amari Williams and Tobi Lawal, who is set for his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks this season.

Bids closed in June

The proposed competition, working under the NBA Europe title, is planned to start alongside the 2027-28 NBA season. Its initial target is 16 European teams, with London expected to be included and Manchester also under discussion.

Final bids for franchise ownership were due in June. The NBA has received offers ranging from $500 million to $1 billion for each target host city, against the league's plan to begin naming participating teams this year.

Laura Pinnell, vice president and head of Consumer Group for the NBA across Europe and the Middle East, said planning remains on track. She said demand had been strong in recent months, especially after bidding closed.

London and Manchester cases

Pinnell described the UK as one of the project's largest opportunities. She pointed to London and the potential Manchester franchise as openings for fans, youth participation and the wider basketball base.

The UK case is straightforward in sporting terms: two major cities, a growing player pipeline and a league brand with global recognition. The harder match is commercial, where owners would need arenas, sponsors, local identity and a schedule that gives supporters a reason to return.

For the NBA, a European league would be more than another overseas event. It would move the organization from staging games in Europe to operating permanent clubs there, with franchise fees, local media rights and youth engagement tied to city markets.

Three paths before tipoff

If the October 2027 timeline holds, the global sports economy gets a new premium basketball property at a time when investors are paying for scarce team assets. For the NBA, the mechanism is direct: franchise bids fund expansion, while London and Manchester would test whether American basketball can build weekly habits in UK venues.

If ownership terms or host-city logistics slow the process, the macro effect is narrower and the NBA's European plan becomes a longer capital project rather than a quick launch. For the wider basketball sector, delay would keep development pressure on domestic clubs, academies and national leagues that already compete for young athletes and sponsorship money.

If both UK cities secure places, the sport gains a sharper local rivalry from the opening season. The next markers are the first franchise announcements, arena decisions and whether the NBA can turn Anunoby's optimism into a structure that gives British players a visible route from participation to the professional game.