LeBron James and Maverick Carter Reportedly Meet with Nikola Jokic’s Agent to Discuss New Basketball League
A proposed international basketball league—described as the “Formula 1 of basketball”—gained attention after Nikola Jokic’s agent, Misko Raznatovic, shared a photo on Instagram of himself meeting with LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter aboard a yacht on the French Riviera. The caption hinted at major plans for the fall of 2026: “The summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make big plans for the fall of 2026!”
The post fueled speculation not only about potential player moves but also about James’ deeper involvement in launching the new league. Earlier in the year, Front Office Sports had reported that Carter was advising a group attempting to raise $5 billion to launch the venture, though James was not said to be involved at the time.
According to initial discussions, the new league could feature six men’s and six women’s teams traveling to eight cities worldwide—none in the United States. Potential backers include the Singapore government, SC Holdings, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, UBS, a Macau casino group, Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, and former Facebook executive Grady Burnett. Other reported investors include Quiet Capital, tech investor Byron Deeter, and Galaxy Entertainment in Hong Kong.
The league may require players to sever ties with the NBA in order to participate, making the structure somewhat similar to LIV Golf, which is also backed by Saudi investment. However, in terms of scale and global reach, it aims to emulate the Formula 1 format, hosting events across multiple continents.
Raznatovic, whose Serbian agency BeoBasket represents numerous top European players and has a partnership with Excel Sports Management, could play a pivotal role in the effort.
While the EuroLeague remains the world’s second-best basketball league, it lacks the financial power to compete with NBA salaries. The new league may seek to change that dynamic and create a viable international alternative.
If Raznatovic’s post is any indication, the league could launch as early as fall 2026. Until then, fans looking for non-NBA basketball can catch Ice Cube’s tour-style Big3 league, which will make a stop in Los Angeles on August 9. The LA Riot, featuring players like Dwight Howard and Jordan Crawford, will face the Boston Ball Hogs at Intuit Dome.
