Luka Doncic-led BC Roma SPQR has officially entered the race for a permanent place in the EuroLeague. According to Eurohoops’ Aris Barkas, the Rome-based project has submitted a binding offer for one of the eight new franchise spots the competition plans to award as part of its expansion.
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The bid brings the total number of candidates to 14 for those eight openings, with two separate projects from the Italian capital now competing for a place. Roma Maxima was already among the candidates before BC Roma SPQR submitted its offer. The other candidates are Crvena Zvezda, Dubai, Hapoel Tel Aviv, London Lions, Napoli Basket, PAOK, Paris Basketball, Partizan, Valencia, Virtus Bologna, Hapoel Jerusalem and Aris.
According to Barkas, BC Roma’s offer was one of the reasons EuroLeague owners did not finalize any new franchises following their meeting at Lake Como. Owners confirmed plans to expand the competition to 24 teams beginning with the 2027-28 season, but decisions on the new franchise places were postponed while the bids undergo further review. The eight new franchises would join the 13 existing ECA shareholder clubs, whose current 10-year licenses are set to be converted into permanent franchises.
A EuroLeague Club Shuts Down Just as Roma Pushes to Join
The timing of Doncic’s bid stands in sharp contrast to developments in Monaco. AS Monaco Basket has entered a state of cessation of payments and announced that it will suspend operations while hoping to find a path toward restructuring and an eventual return. The club’s latest financial crisis has brought its 12-year project at the top level of European basketball to a halt for now.
Monaco’s professional project had become one of the more successful stories in European basketball. The club won the EuroCup in 2021 before reaching the EuroLeague Final Four in 2023 and 2025, including a championship-game appearance in 2025. Its domestic honors include three French championships, four Leaders Cups, two French Cups and one Super Cup.
The club’s current professional structure is now being handed over to the ASM association, which will oversee the men’s first team competing in Nationale 3. Monaco has left open the possibility of rebuilding the project and eventually returning to the highest level.
That development comes as EuroLeague itself is going through a major structural change. The competition is moving toward a franchise model while preparing to expand to 24 teams, creating a race for the available long-term places. The league has received 14 bids, with a maximum of eight new franchises expected to be awarded.
The wider European basketball landscape is also being shaped by the NBA’s plans for a separate European competition. EuroLeague shareholders rejected the NBA’s current collaboration proposal at the Lake Como meeting, although both sides remain open to future discussions.
For Roma SPQR, the immediate focus is now on the franchise review process. The project has already established a presence in Italian basketball and is preparing to compete in the EuroCup, but securing a EuroLeague place would represent a much larger step for the Doncic-led organization.
The EuroLeague Board of Directors is expected to review the 14 proposals before presenting its recommendations for approval. Roma’s binding offer puts the project formally in the race, but with only eight places available, the final decision will determine whether Doncic’s Rome project becomes a permanent part of Europe’s top club competition.