The NBA is the second most popular sports league in the US, trailing only the NFL, and this position translates well to the value of its franchises. Some of the NBA teams are topping even the lists of top most valuable sports franchises. The value of NBA teams oscillates throughout the years, and sometimes, their worth is driven by results. Still, most of the time, it comes down to star power, location, and, above all else, prestige. Check out the most valuable NBA teams by the end of 2024.
Golden State Warriors
GSW is valued at $7.7 billion. While the golden era of the Splash Brothers is behind us, and KD Warriors are no more, it would seem that Stephen Curry is enough to keep the Warriors at the top of the most valuable franchises. Back in 2010, when Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought Warriors for $450 million, no one could have predicted how their results and value would skyrocket. Yet, once in a rebuild, the team managed to draft Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green and lure in Kevin Durant to make the most recent super team. After a few titles and a high-powered, three-point-driven offense, the Warriors are now the most valuable NBA franchise and one of the most recognizable basketball names in the world.
New York Knicks
With the Knicks, the era of past results is, and old glory is a matter of history lessons. The team hasn’t been at the top of the game for some time now, but its value can’t drop due to name recognition and its New York location. With the worth of $6.6 billion, the Knicks are the NBAs second most valuable franchise. You ought to be rich when you play your game at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks are that despite lacking on-court results. The Mecca of sports is famed for being home to more sports than basketball. However, NYC still loves Patrick Ewing, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony more than many other athletes. The pressure of the Knicks is now on the back of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby. Even if these lads fail to deliver a ring to NYC, we’re sure that the value of the Knicks will continue to rise.
Los Angeles Lakers
Now, this is a name that you’d expect to see topping lists like this one. The home of the King, Los Angeles is home to one of the world’s most renowned franchises, the Lakers. Led by LeBron James, the Lakers are far from being a basketball powerhouse, and today sport io and similar betting outlets do not see them as favorites to win the NBA title, yet their value rarely drops. At the moment, the Lakers are valued at $6.4 billion. The Lakers have their name often associated with winning basketball and are one of the most successful teams in NBA history. You get this when you have names such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James representing your colors.
Boston Celtics
Regarding on-court success, the Celtics are right up there with the Lakers regarding NBA success. In terms of value, they’re trailing them by a few billion with a set value of $4.7 billion. The team that holds the record for the most NBA titles knows how to keep its worth – by being constantly successful. Yet, Boston is a smaller market than Los Angeles and New York, so despite their immeasurable success and the fact they’re the reigning champions, it is only enough for position number 4. The current Celtics team is led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. At the same time, in the past, the glorious Celtics name became what it is today thanks to the likes of Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.
Los Angeles Clippers
Clippers are doomed to play second fiddle to the LA Lakers for eternity. Clippers are always trying to bring in star power, play good basketball, and attract fans to their flock. Yet, they never seem to have lasting success, and the NBA title still evades this franchise. But, as we said, location plays a significant role in determining the value of an NBA franchise. Thus, the Clippers are valued at $4.65 billion, making them more valuable than some successful franchises. Their value will only grow with a new and super-rich owner in Steve Ballmer and their new home in Intuit Dome. The team is led by aging stars and often-injured Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, but in the past, it had stars such as Chris Paul and Blake Griffin during their famous Lob City era.
Chicago Bulls
Despite being far removed from the 90s and the most successful era in Bulls history, the franchise still has a lot of value, and it’s estimated to be close to $4.6 billion. The Bulls logo is one of the most recognizable ones in the world, and it is all thanks to Michael Jordan. The man, the legend, the first global superstar of the NBA and sports in general, was in charge of the Bulls’ unprecedented six championships run. Bulls never came close to replicating their success with the Air Mike. Still, the past success is enough to put them into the top 6 of the most valuable NBA franchises. The current team is far from the once dominant Bulls teams of the late 80s and 90s. The current team is led by Lonzo Ball, Zach LaVine, Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic. They’re nowhere close to a playoff spot and even further from winning the championship, which was the norm for the Bulls of the 90s.
Dallas Mavericks
We will round up this list with the Dallas Mavericks, which have a valuation of $4.5 billion. The current team is led by Luka Dončić, one of the league’s faces. Year in and year out, they are in the hunt for an NBA ring. Mavericks is a storied franchise famed for being led by European superstars. In the past, it was Dirk Nowitzki, and today it is Luka. Mark Cuban revitalized the franchise in his two-decade ownership, bringing a ring to Dallas. Considering that Texas is a massive media market, it is no wonder that the Mavericks play with the big dogs and rub off on the even more popular and valuable Dallas Cowboys.
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Author: Team Dunkest
January 9, 2025 | 11:00 am
