Nick Nurse wants to make Brighton part of the NBA.

The head coach will attempt to make Genesis Brighton Bears a feeder team to one of the sport's biggest clubs.

And that could mean up-and-coming NBA players featuring on a regular basis at the Brighton Centre.

Officials from the world's top league are looking to break into a relatively untapped market in the United Kingdom.

Their plans include expanding their Development League to this side of the Atlantic.

And that is where Nurse believes Bears could get involved.

He said: "This could mean the NBA coming to Brighton.

"I am hopeful and will do all that we can to make sure Brighton is involved.

"What would it mean? It means the NBA and all that is wrapped up in that from a marketing standpoint.

"That would bring national sponsorship. I am sure it would catapult us back on to television.

"And I would expect the NBA marketing machine to be revving up its engines to back us.

"This would take us as high as we can be."

The Development League currently comprises just eight American teams who act as feeders to 30 NBA franchises.

Expansion into the UK and mainland Europe would see that number increase, ideally to the point where each senior franchise had a D-League affiliate.

If they were part of it, Bears would receive fringe first team players from the NBA and have some recruitment responsibility.

They could see their best players called into the NBA.

Being accepted into a European D-League would also propel Bears back into international competition.

But, in line with what tends to happen in American sport, they could be at the risk of having the team moved to another city if they were not well supported. The NBA has become an increasingly cosmopolitan organisation in recent years.

Its potential UK market has been brought into focus by the handful of players from this country progressing through the college ranks and London preparing to host the 2012 OIympics.

NBA commissioner David Stern said: "With the Olympics scheduled for London in 2012, that gives us a really interesting opportunity to focus our efforts in the UK.

"We have had a number of expressions of interest for the equivalent of a development league expansion into European cities."

Nurse has thrown Brighton's hat in the ring and is convinced the city can play a part.

He said: "This is potentially the biggest news we have ever had, times 50. It's out of this world."

Meanwhile, Nurse is still hoping to sign NBA legend Dennis Rodman to play for Bears.

The Bears head coach remains in negotiations with Rodman's agents, having opened talks early last week.

He wants Rodman to play for his BBL team after leaving the Big Brother house in the coming weeks.

Nurse believes he stands a better chance of signing the former Chicago Bulls enforcer than rivals Sheffield Sharks, who have also claimed an interest.