The NBA wants to buy the EuroLeague - the owners are meeting at Lake Como

On 5 October, at the Villa d'Este in Cernobbio on Lake Como, the owners of EuroLeague clubs are meeting. A meeting of owners, rather than the regular shareholders' board, is convened rarely - and only when the question on the table is not one settled by a vote on the calendar. According to Italian media there are three items: the NBA's offer to take over the EuroLeague, expansion of the competition, and a shift to a franchise system on the American model. The same package includes the fight over hosting: Milan is bidding for the 2030 Final Four at the new Unipol Dome in Santa Giulia, Valencia is in play but will most likely get 2028 at the newly opened Roig Arena, while 2027 and 2029 are already agreed for Abu Dhabi. Basketball in Europe is growing, but ownership of it is moving further away from Europe. Balkan clubs, who supply half the atmosphere in that competition, do not have a seat at the table on this question - they will find out what was decided.

Giannis to Miami - and straight to a 13.5 million dollar villa

Giannis Antetokounmpo has bought a villa of almost 1,100 square metres in Pinecrest near Miami for 13.5 million dollars, after being traded to the Miami Heat. Eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, two smaller ones, a screening room, a pool, a jacuzzi and a separate guest house - a description that reads like a catalogue rather than a home. The trade that closed the long saga is enormous: Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Haime Jaquez Jr, Kasparas Jakučionis, the 13th pick in the 2026 draft, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a pick swap in 2030 and one second-round pick in 2033. The Greek superstar spent 13 seasons in Milwaukee - a ten-time All-Star, twice MVP, Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and the man who delivered the first title in 50 years in 2021, averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists in the finals series. Now a partnership with Bam Adebayo and Klay Thompson awaits him in Miami. The question rarely asked: how many titles is a trade like this worth, and for whom?

Kyrie Irving is a name on the market again - Dallas is building around Flagg

The season has not started and Kyrie Irving is already a topic across the NBA. According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the 34-year-old point guard will draw strong interest the moment Dallas so much as opens a trade conversation. "Teams around the league are intrigued by how, or whether, Irving fits into the Mavericks' long-term plans as the franchise puts its teenage gem first," MacMahon writes, adding that a healthy Irving - averaging 25.5 points and 5.1 assists in a Dallas shirt - would be a prime target for title contenders before the trade deadline. Irving returns to the court after missing all of the 2025/26 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Meanwhile the club has had an upheaval at the top: new president Masai Ujiri and new coach Dusty May. Dallas says publicly that it is keeping him. The history of such statements in the NBA is well known.

Kumanovo gets the Super Cup - and the Cup finals in 2027 and 2028

The municipality of Kumanovo and the Basketball Federation of Macedonia have signed a memorandum of cooperation making the city one of the main centres of domestic basketball. Mayor Maksim Dimitrievski and federation president Tome Glavčev agreed that the Super Cup in the men's and women's senior categories will be held in Kumanovo on 26 or 27 September 2026. Over the two-year period covered by the document, the city will also organise the final matches of the Macedonian Cup in 2027 and 2028, again in both categories. After signing, the two toured the sports hall that is to host the matches and inspected the facilities. Memorandums are the easy part. Basketball finals are played in a hall with heating, a parquet floor and stands that hold - and that is exactly what will be on show on 26 September.

MKK Kumanovo brings in a centre from the US ahead of the new season

While the city sorts out its hosting, the club is sorting out its rotation under the rim. MKK Kumanovo has signed Jordan Session, a 30-year-old American who can cover the four and the five. His path is long and Balkan: he has already played in neighbouring Bulgaria and in Serbia, and his career has taken him through Denmark, the United Kingdom, Georgia, Mexico, Norway and Slovenia. Kumanovo counts on him as a serious reinforcement in the battle under the basket, with the ambition of playing a significant role in the domestic championship. Players with a travel record like this in the Macedonian league usually bring two things - experience, and uncertainty over how long they will stay. The season will show which of the two prevails.