Project B, a global basketball project set for 2026, aims to compete for talent by offering equity and high salaries. With backing from LeBron James's partner Maverick Carter, the league plans to recruit stars and young prospects for a world-tour format, despite potential scheduling conflicts with the NBA season.
While the NBA and FIBA are actively working to create a new European league set to launch in October 2027, there is another project that could shake up the world of basketball as we know it.
Introducing Project B: A Global Traveling League
For some time now, a group of investors has decided to launch a new traveling basketball league, modeled after Formula 1, with stops in various parts of the world, set to begin as early as next fall, with an inaugural season running from November 2026 through April 2027.
Project B, as the new league is called, aims to focus on both women's and men's basketball.
Early Success in Attracting Top WNBA's Talent
As for the women's division, Project B has already signed several top-tier players, some of whom play in the WNBA, such as Sophie Cunningham and Alyssa Thomas, offering them high salaries and equity in the league itself.
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In an interview with The Athletic, Grady Burnett, one of the founders of the new league, said one of the project's goals is to extend players' careers.
High-Profile Backers and Advisors
To ensure the project's success, Burnett and the other league founders are enlisting the help of some of the most influential figures in modern basketball, including Maverick Carter, LeBron James's business partner, and Misko Raznatovic, a Serbian agent and owner of the BeoBasket agency.
Carter had been a consultant for Project B until this fall but is now back in the fold as an adviser and board director, Burnett said.
However, Carter's spokesman noted that Carter had no formal role with the new league.
Project B has not yet made any announcements regarding the men's league, but hopes to do so soon.
The plan is to recruit players from both the NBA and Europe, as well as sign young prospects to form a development league.
"We have a blueprint that we followed on the women's side that brought us those top players, we're applying the same blueprint on the men's side that focuses on developing the best young talent in the world and extending the careers of established players", Grady Burnett explained to the Athletic.
Challenges in Recruiting NBA Players
Signing NBA players, however, could pose some problems for Project B.
While female athletes playing in the WNBA are not prohibited from signing with other leagues, and Project B's schedule would not conflict with the WNBA's, the situation would be different for male athletes.
NBA players cannot sign with other leagues while under contract with an NBA franchise, and Project B's schedule would conflict with the NBA season.
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"We want real culture-setters that can help and connect us to fans globally," Burnett said. "And I think if you look at the track record of Maverick, you look at the track record of Misko, you look at the track record of what we've done on signing the top women's players, we'll follow a similar format and bring the stars of today and the stars of tomorrow."
"And for us, it's just creating an opportunity and saying, 'Hey, this is a real new opportunity that is great to expand the game, expand your brand, and grow from there."
Development League Strategy and Talent Growth
Raznatovic is reportedly focusing primarily on helping Project B recruit young talent and establish a development league that will allow players to develop while still playing matches in the top division and against other European clubs.
Project B has already announced two stages of the inaugural season, to be held in Tokyo and Valencia.
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