The National Basketball Association is pressing ahead with plans to launch a new European competition and expects initial responses from prospective investors by the end of March, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Los Angeles ahead of the NBA’s All-Star weekend, Tatum outlined the next phase of the league’s ambitious expansion project.

“We’ve told the potential investors we need to know their level of interest by the end of March,” Tatum said. “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.’”

According to Tatum, the NBA is targeting autumn 2027 to finalize the structure of the new league, which would be created in partnership with FIBA, basketball’s global governing body.

The proposed format includes 12 permanent franchises alongside four qualifying teams. A number of major European cities have been identified as potential hosts, including Paris, Lyon, London, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Manchester, Munich, Athens and Istanbul.

Leading football institutions such as Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan have reportedly been approached about forming franchises as part of the new venture.

The initiative has heightened tensions with the EuroLeague, currently Europe’s premier club basketball competition, which recently appointed Chus Bueno as its president.

However, Tatum expressed optimism that Bueno — a former NBA executive — could play a constructive role in aligning stakeholders.

“We do know Chus Bueno, he obviously worked for us for a dozen years or so,” Tatum said.

“We’ve always said from the very beginning we’ve wanted to work together with the EuroLeague to align everyone and get everyone from the ecosystem aligned.

“I think with having Chus there, somebody who knows us well, who knows European basketball well, perhaps he can be a bridge between us, FIBA, and the EuroLeague.”