What happened
Europe's top club basketball league turned down a merger proposal from the NBA, according to someone with knowledge of the discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly. The talks had focused on teaming up to launch NBA Europe, but that plan did not take shape.
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Where things stand
The conversations are not dead. People familiar with the situation say the sides are still engaging, and this could end with either a deal or the talks being scrapped altogether. For now, the NBA's attention has shifted to making its NBA Europe case straight to individual European clubs. Commissioner Adam Silver has long made expansion to Europe a marquee goal, and the concept has been described as featuring a dozen teams.
Reactions and what it means
An NBA spokesperson said the league had no comment. By press time, the Euroleague had not provided a response to inquiries for comment. For anyone following the business of basketball, the headline is simple: a merger is not happening right now, the NBA is still working the idea, and the final outcome remains uncertain.
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