Former Knicks and Jazz president Dave Checketts is part of a conglomerate pursuing an NBA Europe franchise in London, Sky News reported Tuesday, as American businessmen continue to show interest in the burgeoning overseas league.
Checketts is reportedly tied to a group that includes the Lewis family from Tottenham Hotspur and the Utah-based Eccles family — which launched a private sports equity firm with Checketts in 2025. The price for NBA Europe’s London franchise is expected to be at least $1B and is also being pursued by Tottenham Hotspur’s former chairman Daniel Levy and his private equity consortium that entails Liberty Global and MSP Sports Capital.
The news arrives two days following reports that former Lakers executives Joey and Jesse Buss are negotiating to buy Basketball HOFer Tony Parker’s French EuroLeague franchise, ASVEL — which sources said has already bid to join NBA Europe. The Buss brothers, who exited the Lakers following the team’s sale to Mark Walter, founded Buss Sports Capital in September 2025 and, according to the French website BeBasket, are looking to buy ASVEL for between $69M and $92M (all figures U.S.). BeBasket reported several of the team’s minority shareholders, who bought in for NBA Europe purposes, were seeking an original price of $138M. So talks with the Buss brothers are ongoing.
The developments validate that numerous former NBA owners are intrigued by NBA Europe and are pursuing franchises. SBJ reported in June — when NBA Europe bids closed — that former Bucks owner Marc Lasry had also bid for an undisclosed NBA Europe team.
Checketts, who was unavailable for comment, was GM of NBA International 36 years ago, at a time the league was playing its first regular season games abroad in Tokyo. Checketts’ investment services firm, Sports Capital Partners Worldwide, later owned Real Salt Lake of MLS and the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. His partner in this NBA Europe pursuit — the Eccles family — is heavily involved in Salt Lake City’s winter Olympic infrastructure.
