Following his acknowledgment of a growing alignment between the NBA and Euroleague in their approach, the head of Europe’s premier basketball competition has weighed in on the future of the three French clubs. He began by addressing ASVEL, describing a peculiar stance taken by the club’s president, Tony Parker.
“ASVEL is in a delicate situation, both on and off the court; I’ve told Tony this many times. Clubs have the right to vote for a ‘call option,’ a clause that would force the repurchase of their shares, leading them to exit the competition. We had warned everyone and set a deadline of January 15th for extensions, failing which they would be exposed to this clause. I’m not assuming it will end this way, but if at some point clubs get tired of waiting and want to move forward… Tony risks losing a lot of money. If you want to become a franchise later, you’ll have to pay between 50 and 80 million in expansion fees. If we reach an agreement with the NBA, you’ll also benefit… I don’t see the point of not signing. If he could do it tonight, he should. But I will respect his decision in any case.”
Facing significant financial difficulties and having narrowly avoided bankruptcy, AS Monaco’s future hangs precariously. Meanwhile, Paris Basketball’s future was not yet secured under Paulius Motiejunas (the previous head of the Champions League), but Bueno appears to advocate for the capital city’s inclusion in the project.
“We are working with Monaco, monitoring everything, and speaking with the GM and the Principality. They have taken positive steps, and several serious investors are interested. We wish them success so that we can continue discussing their continued participation. However, we are not there yet. […] Paris is a major brand and a large market. Leaders Eric Schwartz and David Kahn have done remarkable work. They had discussed a license with my predecessor, and I have proposed that they continue the conversation around the new model. We hope for an agreement so they can join the league.”
He also revealed what he believes to be the ideal scenario for the Euroleague as a whole, considering the imminent arrival of NBA Europe.
“We are focused on having the best possible league, the best championships, teams, and cities with their century-old traditions. Afterward, we need to see how to improve things, perhaps by adding other cities – Manchester, London, Rome. In the two months since my arrival, we have restructured the competition. The thirteen ‘A’ licenses will become franchises by the end of the 2026-27 season, offering a more solid and permanent way to do business and bring stability to the market, as teams, despite exit clauses, are not at risk of disappearing. We are creating value, assets. We have commissioned a study to value the league, estimated by the said firm at 1.5 billion. Within four years, this value could rise to 3 billion.”
