In the wake of reports indicating that the EuroLeague has turned down the NBA’s initial proposal for a merger, the NBA and FIBA issued a joint statement on Thursday confirming that they still intend to move forward with their plans for NBA Europe, whether or not they have a deal in place with the EuroLeague.

“A partnership between the EuroLeague, FIBA and the NBA to unify the European basketball ecosystem would unlock the game’s enormous potential across Europe for the benefit of clubs, players and, most importantly, fans,” the statement reads (Twitter link via Scott Soshnick of Sportico). “The NBA and FIBA remain committed to moving forward with a new professional men’s league in Europe and helping build a stronger, more sustainable basketball ecosystem alongside partners who share our vision of growth, opportunity and the core principles of the European sports model.”

While the announcement provides confirmation that an agreement with the EuroLeague isn’t a prerequisite for the NBA’s European own league, multiple reports this week have stated that the door is still open for the NBA and the EuroLeague to continue negotiating. EuroLeague shareholders weren’t interested in the NBA’s opening offer, but several of the 13 teams that are permanent members of the league are believed to have interest in becoming part of NBA Europe, and the EuroLeague is said to be exploring a counter-proposal.

EuroLeague shareholders believe the NBA’s proposal underestimated the value of the EuroLeague, sources tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. According to Windhorst, Barcelona – one of the EuroLeague’s permanent clubs – indicated this week that both the team and the league would be open to an amended offer from the NBA.

Although the NBA has received bids from many non-EuroLeague clubs and markets, it remains unclear if the new league would be able to achieve its planned launch date of fall 2027 without cooperation from the EuroLeague. There has been recent speculation that NBA Europe’s debut could be postponed to the fall of 2028 as the league builds out the necessary infrastructure.

As Windhorst points out, the EuroLeague was initially former in 2001 after a pair of rival European leagues – the FIBA SuproLeague and ULEB Euroleague – both operated for a season in 2000/01.