Landry Fields' Next Play: Building a Global Basketball Revolution

SINGAPORE – July 09, 2026 – In the ever-shifting landscape of global sports, where power dynamics, media rights, and athlete agency are being fundamentally renegotiated, a new entity has made a significant move. Project B, a well-funded and ambitious global basketball league, has appointed former Atlanta Hawks General Manager Landry Fields as its Head of Men's Basketball. While the hiring of a respected executive is a standard play, the context is anything but. This isn't just about building a new team; it's about validating a new model for professional sports—one that is athlete-owned, globally distributed, and designed to challenge the very structure of the basketball ecosystem.

Fields' appointment is the latest and perhaps most crucial piece in a complex machine set to whir to life in January 2027. Backed by tech-industry veterans and a roster of superstar athlete-investors, Project B aims to create a new, complementary pathway for elite talent. With a structure that promises players both multi-million dollar salaries and equity stakes, it represents a direct response to the growing “player empowerment” movement. By bringing in Fields, a leader who has navigated the game from the court to the front office, Project B is signaling that its revolutionary vision will be grounded in credible basketball expertise.

A New Blueprint for a Global League

Project B is not positioning itself as a direct competitor to established giants like the NBA but as a strategic expansion into a global market it believes is underserved. Co-founded by ex-Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice, the league’s architecture is built on principles more familiar to Silicon Valley than to traditional sports. The core premise is that the future of sports is athlete-led. “We believe the future of basketball is athlete-led. That comes with an equity stake and a seat at the table of the league,” said Grady Burnett, the company’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer.

This translates into a powerful recruiting tool. The league has already attracted a stunning array of talent for its women’s division, including WNBA stars Nneka Ogwumike (who is also an owner), Jewell Loyd, and Jonquel Jones, as well as 2026’s top WNBA draft pick Azzi Fudd. The reported salaries, potentially exceeding $2 million annually, and the promise of equity are seismic in a landscape where top WNBA salaries hover around a quarter-million dollars.

The competition itself is designed for a modern, global audience. The league will operate as a Formula One-style circuit, with six men’s and six women’s teams competing in a series of two-week tournaments across iconic cities in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The inaugural 2027 season, running from January to April, already has confirmed tour stops in Valencia, Spain, and Tokyo, Japan. Bypassing traditional broadcast deals, all games will be streamed globally on YouTube, with production managed by Host Broadcast Services (HBS), the same firm responsible for the FIFA World Cup broadcast. This digital-first strategy aims to capture the 90% of basketball fans living outside the United States, creating a decentralized, accessible platform for the next generation of fans.

The Architect: Landry Fields' Strategic Role

To execute this grand vision, Project B needed a basketball architect who understands talent, culture, and the nuances of team building. In Landry Fields, they have found a leader whose career has traversed every level of the game. After a five-year NBA playing career with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors, Fields transitioned to the front office, starting as a scout for the San Antonio Spurs—an organization renowned for its culture and player development. He rose to become the General Manager of their G-League affiliate and later took the helm as GM of the Atlanta Hawks.

His tenure in Atlanta, which ended in April 2025, was marked by bold moves, including drafting French phenom Zaccharie Risacher and executing a significant trade for Dejounte Murray. While the team’s progress didn’t ultimately satisfy ownership, Fields earned a reputation as a sharp evaluator of talent and a student of modern roster construction. This blend of on-court empathy and front-office acumen is precisely what Project B requires. He is tasked with building the entire men's basketball program from the ground up, identifying what the organization calls “super star culture setters” who align with its values.

“Landry understands the game from every angle,” noted Chief Basketball Officer Alana Beard. “He's been a player, he's built teams, and he knows culture doesn't happen by accident.”

Fields himself was drawn by the scale of the project. “What drew me to Project B was the ambition,” he stated. His long-standing relationship with player-owner Nneka Ogwumike, dating back to their time at Stanford, underscores the league’s emphasis on character and collaborative leadership. “I've known Nneka Ogwumike since Stanford, and she's exactly the kind of culture setter you want to build with,” Fields added. “I'm excited to work closely with players to shape where the game goes next.”

The Player-First Revolution

The most disruptive element of Project B is its athlete-owned model. This is not a token gesture but the foundational principle of the league. By offering players equity, the league transforms them from labor into capital partners, giving them a vested interest in the long-term success and growth of the enterprise. This model, which has advisors like Candace Parker, Novak Djokovic, and Steve Young, directly addresses a central tension in modern professional sports: the desire for athletes to have more control over their careers and a greater share of the value they create.

For players, this means more than just a paycheck. It’s a “seat at the table” on league decisions, a say in the rules, and a stake in the outcome. As Nneka Ogwumike, a central figure in the WNBA players’ union, shared, “As we continue building Project B, having someone who values people, culture, and the game as much as [Landry] does is really exciting.”

The decision of a top prospect like Azzi Fudd to join Project B over other opportunities speaks volumes. Citing a dream to play abroad and the unique platform offered, her choice signals that this new league is already a powerful force in the talent market. It provides a lucrative, high-profile alternative, particularly for women’s players seeking opportunities outside the WNBA season that offer both financial security and global brand-building.

Navigating the Global Court

While Project B insists its model is “complementary,” its very existence creates ripples across the global basketball landscape. The high-compensation structure for women is already putting pressure on the WNBA and EuroLeague Women. Though its November-to-April schedule is designed to avoid a direct clash with the WNBA, it occupies a space traditionally filled by European leagues, creating a new competitive dynamic for player contracts.

Furthermore, the league's global ambitions are not without complexity. Building a fanbase from scratch across disparate continents is a monumental task, even with a robust digital strategy. The league has also faced scrutiny over a partnership with Sela, an event company owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Co-founder Grady Burnett has clarified that Sela is an event partner for a potential tour stop, not a financial backer of the league itself, but the association highlights the geopolitical tightrope that any major global sports entity must walk.

With Landry Fields now in place to build the men’s side, Project B is poised to enter its next critical phase. The challenge is immense: to build a sustainable business, attract a global audience, and deliver on the profound promise of a league truly owned and shaped by its players. The world of basketball will be watching closely as the first-of-its-kind competition tips off in 2027.