NBA team owners are expected to vote this week on an initiative to launch a professional basketball league in Europe, Sportico’s Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams reported Tuesday.

The proposed league would be comprised of eight to 10 teams and aims to expand basketball’s presence across Europe and capitalize on the sport’s popularity by being more involved in the economics of its growth overseas. The NBA estimates that the market for basketball in Europe and the Middle East could generate up to $3 billion in annual revenue. 

Franchises in cities such as London or Paris could sell for at least $500 million, according to Sportico. The NBA’s league would sell permanent franchise openings to outside investors — such as sovereign wealth funds, private capital, individuals with capital or even current European basketball clubs. Under that arrangement, the NBA would hold 50% of the team’s equity and new owners hold the other 50%. It’s a model similar to that used for the WNBA until that league was able to raise outside capital in 2022. 

The NBA’s European league could also operate under a “semi-open” model that would create spaces for top EuroLeague teams — for instance, FC Bayern Munich of Germany or Spain’s Real Madrid — to join the NBA venture during the following year.

This initiative is separate from the international basketball league seeking $5 billion from investors that’s being advised by Maverick Carter, LeBron James’ business partner, that aspires to be “an F1 for basketball” and not a direct competitor to the NBA. 

NBA team owners have discussed opportunities in Europe for the past year and the league has launched previous business deals in China and Africa, and played regular season games in London and Paris. Meanwhile, international players including three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama have become huge stars in the league and grown the NBA’s popularity overseas. 

The owners are scheduled to vote on the European league proposal this week during league meetings in New York City.

Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL East

1. New York Yankees

2. Boston Red Sox (Wild Card)

3. Baltimore Orioles (Wild Card)

4. Tampa Bay Rays

5. Toronto Blue Jays

New York Yankees

Paul Goldschmidt drives in 100+ runs, while Jasson Domínguez goes 20/30 and wins Rookie of the Year … Jazz Chisholm Jr. provides first-round fantasy value when on the field but spends time on the IL … Anthony Volpe breaks out and finishes as a top-10 fantasy SS, while Cody Bellinger gets a big fantasy boost with his move to Yankee Stadium … Ben Rice and Will Warren are deep fantasy sleepers … Max Fried disappoints fantasy managers, but Devin Williams is fantasy’s top closer in 2025 … The Yankees’ margin for error got a lot thinner after losing Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, and the AL East should be a tight race.

Boston Red Sox

Triston Casas puts up a better fantasy season than Josh Naylor, who’s going nearly 50 picks higher in Yahoo drafts … Trevor Story goes 20/25 and is the best value at shortstop, while Alex Bregman also bounces back with the help of Fenway Park … Kristian Campbell breaks camp with Boston, but Roman Anthony receivers more ROY votes … Garrett Crochet becomes a bona fide ace and has a better fantasy season than Paul Skenes, while Aroldis Chapman is a top-12 closer … Boston wins a wild-card spot thanks in part to its loaded farm system.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]

Baltimore Orioles

Adley Rutschman rebounds and finishes as fantasy’s top catcher, but Jordan Westburg fails to live up to his lofty ADP (82.9) … Tyler O’Neill and Ryan Mountcastle benefit from Baltimore moving in its left-field fences, while Jackson Holliday breaks out … Heston Kjerstad’s ADP is higher than Colton Cowser’s in 2026 … Félix Bautista finishes as a top five fantasy closer, as the Orioles reach the postseason again.

Tampa Bay Rays

Josh Lowe bounces back with a 20/25 campaign, while Brandon Lowe approaches 30 homers thanks to Tampa Bay leaving Tropicana Field for a warmer weather Yankee Stadium … Christopher Morel goes 25/10 … Chandler Simpson, who’s coming off the best contact (.355 BA!) and speed (104 stolen bases!) season in minor league history last year, becomes a must-add in all fantasy leagues once he gets called up … The Rays continue to have a loaded farm system and could easily win the AL East if things break right. A return of the old Shane Baz would help, but spring results (-2.1 K-BB%!) weren’t encouraging.

Toronto Blue Jays

Bo Bichette and Kevin Gausman bounce back with monster seasons, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wins MVP … Andrés Giménez is a fantasy sleeper, and Max Scherzer pitches like an ace in between IL stints … Toronto is stuck in a tough division, but the Blue Jays are absolutely capable of making a playoff run in 2025.

Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL Central

1. Minnesota Twins

2. Detroit Tigers

3. Kansas City Royals

4. Cleveland Guardians

5. Chicago White Sox

Minnesota Twins

The health of Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton will be key, but all three can be elite hitters with the potential to destroy their ADPs. Buxton, who’s coming off his first normal offseason in years, finishes as a top 25 fantasy outfielder … Edouard Julien is one season removed from posting a 135 wRC+ and is a deep fantasy sleeper … If Joe Ryan’s velocity is right, he’ll earn Cy Young votes … Both David Festa and Zebby Matthews become popular waiver-wire adds once they get called up … Minnesota benefits from playing in the AL Central and wins the division.

Detroit Tigers

Gleyber Torres bounces back and goes down as one of the best fantasy values at second base, while Spencer Torkelson knocks 25+ homers … Tarik Skubal dominates again, while Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Jackson Jobe all possess intriguing potential. Flaherty, who recorded the third-best CSW (31.3%) among qualified starters last season, destroys his ADP (SP41) … Tommy Kahnle leads the Tigers in saves … Detroit’s staff has undeniable upside, but a shaky offense leads to a missed postseason.

Kansas City Royals

Jonathan India finishes as a top 15 second baseman, while Hunter Renfroe is a deep fantasy sleeper … Bobby Witt Jr., who hit .382 and saw his OPS jump 273 points at home last season, will continue to benefit from Kauffman Stadium … Cole Ragans, who somehow saw his K% spike to 30.7 in Kauffman last year, is capable of winning the Cy Young despite pitching in an extreme hitter’s park … The Royals finish just outside the playoffs.

Cleveland Guardians

Steven Kwan is a fantasy fade, but Kyle Manzardo is a sleeper … Bo Naylor finishes as a top-12 catcher, but Emmanuel Clase isn’t a top-three closer … Gavin Williams, whose 4.86 ERA came with a 3.67 FIP last year, recorded a 32.4 K-BB% with a 0.98 WHIP over five spring starts. Yet, the former first-round pick is somehow being drafted as the SP60 in Yahoo leagues … Joey Cantillo begins the year in the bullpen but finishes it as Cleveland’s third-best starter … Progressive Field had decreased HR an MLB-high 23% over 2022-23, but it was more favorable for homers than Coors Field in 2024. It will be interesting to see how Progressive Field plays in 2025.

Chicago White Sox

The White Sox are generally projected to win the fewest games and score the fewest runs this season. Luis Robert Jr. goes 25/25, and an eventual trade helps his counting stats … Mike Clevinger thrives with his move to the bullpen, finishing as a top 20 fantasy closer … Chicago has some intriguing players in its farm system, but the White Sox are in clear rebuild mode in 2025.

Fantasy and real-life predictions for the AL West

1. Texas Rangers

2. Houston Astros (Wild Card)

3. Seattle Mariners

4. Los Angeles Angels

5. Athletics

Texas Rangers

Wyatt Langford’s September gains continue, and he’s a first-round fantasy pick in 2026 … Joc Pederson and Josh Jung are major profits at their ADPs, but Texas’ bullpen causes fantasy headaches … Kyle Higashioka swats 20+ home runs and overtakes Jonah Heim as the Rangers’ top catcher … Jacob deGrom, who owns the lowest OBP against in MLB history, reaches 160.0 innings and wins the Cy Young award … Kumar Rocker, who’s being drafted as the SP92 in Yahoo leagues, finishes runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting … Injuries have already tested the Rangers’ SP depth, and a midseason addition to the bullpen is needed, but Texas wins the American League pennant.

Houston Astros

The pull-happy Isaac Paredes gets a big fantasy bump moving from Wrigley Field (and Tropicana) to Houston’s short left-field porch. Paredes had twice as many expected homers (26) at Minute Maid Park last season compared to Wrigley Field (13) … Yordan Álvarez will win a Triple Crown one year if health permits … Spencer Arrighetti has a better fantasy season than Hunter Brown … Hayden Wesneski is a deep sleeper, and Lance McCullers Jr. should be stashed in all fantasy leagues with IL slots … Houston wins a wild-card spot.

Seattle Mariners

T-Mobile Park was more extreme for pitchers than Coors Field was for hitters last season. Andrés Muñoz had the third-biggest home/road split of any pitcher since World War II. The Mariners’ starting staff all possessed extreme home/road splits: Logan Gilbert (2.49 vs. 3.94), Luis Castillo (3.15 vs. 4.25), George Kirby (3.06 vs. 3.89), Bryce Miller (1.96! vs. 4.07) and Bryan Woo (2.47 vs. 3.29). Mariners’ pitchers will continue to get a huge boost from their home park, but it’s a hurdle for Julio Rodríguez (.655 OPS at home last season) … Mitch Garver approaches 20 homers while seeing at bats at DH with Mitch Haniger released, while rookie Ryan Bliss steals 30+ bases … Seattle’s staff is impressive, and the Mariners could easily win the AL West, but they just barely miss the postseason in 2025.

Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout stays healthy enough to surpass 30 homers, as the Angels enter with a far better offense than pitching … Logan O’Hoppe splits work more with Travis d’Arnaud than expected. J.T. Realmuto and Austin Wells should be drafted ahead of O’Hoppe. Joey Bart, who’s going undrafted in 83% of Yahoo leagues, has a better fantasy year than O’Hoppe … Jo Adell hits under .220, but Kenley Jansen finishes as a top 12 fantasy closer … The Angels tie the A’s for fourth place in the AL West.

Athletics

A’s hitters should benefit from their new climate and significantly smaller foul territory moving from Oakland to a temporary home in West Sacramento. Oakland has decreased homers by 19% over the last three seasons, which is the second-most in MLB. Brent Rooker had the fourth-highest wRC+ (171), the fourth-most homers (24) and the third-most RBI (66) on the road last season. He’s a hitter to target in 2025 … Lawrence Butler ends the year as a top-20 outfielder, while Mason Miller finishes as a top-three fantasy closer … It’s undoubtedly sad to see the A’s leave Oakland, but there’s clear excitement with the move to West Sacramento. 

Final Predictions

• AL MVP: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (dark horse: Wyatt Langford)

• AL CY YOUNG: Jacob deGrom (dark horse: Joe Ryan)

• AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jasson Domínguez (dark horse: Kumar Rocker)

• ALCS: Rangers over Yankees

The Yankees played one last exhibition game ahead of the 2025 regular season, falling to the Miami Marlins, 4-2, at loanDepot park on Tuesday afternoon.

Here are the takeaways…

-The Yankees rolled out a lineup that will likely be very similar, if not identical, to what they’ll use on Opening Day against Milwaukee. Here’s a look:

Quick stop in Miami before heading north 👊#RepBXpic.twitter.com/fDYAnb8BU0

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 25, 2025

Aaron Boone has already announced that Austin Wells will hit leadoff to start the season, and if there is one potential change for Thursday, it could be Ben Rice or J.C. Escarra serving as the DH, with Aaron Judge in center.

–Cody Bellinger was hitting behind Judge in the order, as will likely be the case for most of the season, and Bellinger got the offense started with a solo home run to center field in the first inning.

Bellinger finished his spring with four home runs and a 1.214 OPS.

-Speaking of Judge, the slugger ended what was a spring to forget by going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Judge hit .121 this spring with a .510 OPS.

–Will Warren’s final start before the regular season didn’t exactly go as planned. The young righty, who will start the fourth game of the season against Arizona, allowed four earned runs on five hits over 3.2 innings, striking out six and walking two while giving up a pair of home runs.

Warren, now a key member of the rotation following injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt, finished his spring with a 5.09 ERA

-Left-handed reliever Ryan Yarbrough, recently signed by the Yanks, pitched a clean inning in his team debut.

Who was the game MVP?

Bellinger, who had two more hits to finish his spring with a .423 batting average.

Highlights

Cody Crush 💪#RepBXpic.twitter.com/VNNhIk3cs5

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 25, 2025

What’s next

That’s a wrap for spring training.

The Yankees open their regular season at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at 3:05 p.m.

Carlos Rodon will face Freddy Peralta.