According to Front Office Sports, LeBron James, his business partner Maverick Carter, and Nikola Jokić’s agent Miško Ražnatović met in France last week to discuss a new $5 billion international basketball league. Multiple sources were cited in the report.

Carter is spearheading the proposed league, which would comprise six men’s and six women’s teams traveling eight global locations. Inspired by LIV Golf and Formula One, the league intends to give players ownership stakes, which NBA rules presently prohibit for active athletes.

Ražnatović, a prominent figure in European basketball, shared a snapshot of their meeting on Instagram over the weekend. The caption, which was labeled in Saint-Tropez, read: “The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026.” The photo spurred talk of a prospective team-up between James and Jokić, but insiders verified to Front Office Sports that the encounter was unrelated to the NBA.

Carter began selling the league earlier this year, and Bloomberg reported in January that he hopes to secure $5 billion in finance. The Singapore government, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, SC Holdings, UBS, and investors such as Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice and former Facebook CEO Grady Burnett have already pledged their support.

Unlike the WNBA-affiliated Unrivaled league, which allows for dual participation, Carter’s initiative is expected to require full-time commitments, thereby cutting out NBA participation until league rules change.

Meanwhile, the NBA is looking to expand its presence in Europe. Last week, Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to discuss ideas for a European NBA league in collaboration with Fiba. As part of this effort, the NBA has announced that the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies would play regular-season games in Berlin and London in January 2026.

EuroLeague officials have spoken out against the NBA’s expansion talks. EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas told the Athletic on Tuesday that the new league will not benefit the market, as previously stated.