David Stern envisions a 5 team division in Europe over the next decade. With the
United States professional sports market more saturated than a fast food
cheeseburger, Stern is basically at capacity with 30 markets in the USA. Expanding
to Europe is the logical next step in growing the game. 10 years from now basketball
could be known as the second most popular sport in the world. It all started with the
original Dream Team featuring Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, and other superstars
in the early 1990s. David Stern could cement his legacy by leaving the game as the
second most watched sport in the world.

Why is Stern making his expansion plans public so soon? The major drawback to
creating franchises overseas is the lack of infastructure. Stern expects his venues to
seat at least 19,000 fans. Ticket sales are a major revenue draw for teams, so a
12,000 seat arena will not pay for maxed out salaries. It is also important to recognize
that European fans are still learning the game. Take a trip to London and watch a
regular season BBL game (British Basketball League). The best player in the league
is barely qualified for a ball boy position in the NBDL. Many crowds also compare to a
high school or small college crowd here in the states.

For instance current Iowa Energy head coach Nick Nurse (NBDL) was a former head
coach and owner of the Brighton Bears of the BBL. The Bears used Dennis Rodman
as a publicity stunt for 3 games. However, Nurse managed to bankrupt his team twice
before bailing out and accepting a job with the Iowa Energy. Any potiental expansion
city should have a solid record of drawing fans. Stern and the NBA have the difficult
task of deciding which cities are ready to support a franchise. London may sound like
an excellent choice but in reality that team would fail miserably. Below are the 5 cities
the NBA should select in their expansion plan.

1. Madrid, Spain
2. Paris, France
3. Berlin, Germany
4. Moscow, Russia
5. Athens, Greece

The 5 team European expansion plan would leave the league with 35 teams. Currently
the NBA Draft is two rounds in duration. The NBA should consider expanding it to
three rounds to futher develop the NBDL. Being in the 2nd round does not guarantee
a player a contract with the drafting team. The rule should be changed allowing every
drafted player a guaranteed two year contract. Each team should be allowed to send
their draft picks to their D League affliliate for development. In the case of developing
draft picks the player should not count as part of the 15 man NBA roster. This rule
would encourage teams to use their draft picks to develope players similar to the
Major League Baseball system.