MILAN (AP) — The NBA is targeting October 2027 as a potential launch date for the new Europe-based league that it and FIBA have been working to make happen, a league official said Friday.

NBA Europe managing director George Aivazoglou, speaking at a conference in Milan, said the first season of the new league might be described as “a semi-opening,” indicating that not all of the slots in the planned 16-team league could be allocated at that time. NBA officials, including Commissioner Adam Silver, have been saying 2027 or 2028 were the working targets for a launch.

The 16-team model calls for 12 permanent franchises, Aivazoglou said. He listed current target countries as Britain (with the potential host cities there being London and Manchester), France (Paris and Lyon), Spain (Madrid and

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