Hapoel Tel Aviv president Ofer Yannay believes European basketball could face a historic turning point next summer, suggesting the 2025–26 campaign might be the EuroLeague’s final season in its current form.
Speaking on the EURO INSIDERS podcast, Yannay said he expects the long-discussed “NBA Europe” project to reshape the entire continental basketball structure within a year. “I believe NBA Europe is coming, and I believe the EuroLeague will not be able to move fast enough to make the changes it needs—whether to block NBA Europe or to cooperate with it,” Yannay said, via HoopsHype. “So there’s a good chance this is the last EuroLeague year.”
Hapoel Tel Aviv are making their EuroLeague debut this season after winning the 2025 EuroCup title by sweeping Gran Canaria. Yannay emphasized that his focus is on ensuring the club remains well-positioned amid potential realignment. “My job—my responsibility—is to make sure that whatever happens in European basketball, Hapoel is in a good position,” he said.
The 2025–26 EuroLeague marks the first season without Turkish Airlines as title sponsor since 2010 and the first expanded 20-team format. Dubai Basketball joined as the first non-European team in the league’s history, while Fenerbahce entered as defending champions.
Yannay drew parallels to the last major shift in 2000, when the modern EuroLeague broke away from FIBA. “The cards are going to get shuffled and redistributed again next summer,” he said. “This is a once-in-a-generation change. The last time this happened was in the year 2000—exactly 25 years ago.”
When asked about potential NBA Europe player recruitment, Yannay proposed an unconventional approach. “We can’t bring in those max-contract guys still in their prime,” he said. “But it would be amazing to bring in the superstars whose careers are just starting to decline—but they’re still superstars. Guys like Kevin Durant, LeBron, Steph Curry. They could really enjoy one more year in Europe.”
Yannay also urged the NBA to involve its biggest names as stakeholders in the new project. “The NBA should make them partners in this new league,” he said. “That’s how you convince them to come—not just with salary, but with ownership. Let them be part of this new movement.”
