By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Fenerbahce, and ASVEL had until today to inform the EuroLeague about their commitment to the new 10-year licenses and clarify their position.
Essentially, that happened on Tuesday, with Barcelona informing the rest of the board that they are willing to sign the new contract without any special opt-out clause, as it was initially publicly said by club president Joan Laporta.
Barcelona is expected to sign the new license by the end of the month, essentially choosing sides, despite being rumored to be strongly considering a move to the NBA project together with Real Madrid.
Fenerbahce also asked for more time, but according to multiple sources, the club is much more focused on continuing with the EuroLeague than moving away.
On the contrary, Real Madrid never gave any answer, and it’s considered the anchor of the new NBA Europe project pretty much by everyone.
There have been reports that ASVEL has not shut down the possibility of staying in the EuroLeague, but in his press conference in Berlin, NBA commissioner Adam Silver openly said that ASVEL owner Tony Parker is one of the consultants of the NBA in the new project.
Parker was in Berlin, so a move to FIBA-NBA basketball competitions is almost certain.
It has to be noted that legally, all four teams have until the 30th of June to sign the new licenses, so until the paperwork is done, or official announcements are made about staying or leaving, nothing can be considered truly finalized.
On the other hand, according to EuroLeague sources, the management of the league is not going to treat every club the same, considering their status in the EuroLeague ecosystem until now. Simply put, Real Madrid and ASVEL are not expected to get the same treatment, with the door for Madrid staying open.
It has also to be noted that the new licenses also include an opt-out mechanism, much more streamlined compared to the previous ones, in case a club wants out, or the competition wants to strip them of their licenses, but the fee for this to happen is also very high, more than the 10M euros that were reported in the past.