The NBA is the highest paying sports league in the world, with the average player-salary estimated at almost $10 million.
That’s more than two times the average pay of the other big guns in the USA like the NFL, MLB and the NHL.
Of the current crop of NBA superstars, Golden State’s Steph Curry is the highest-earning player at $51.9 million per annum, with Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns, the great LeBron James, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic all getting $47.6 million every year.
It therefore goes without saying that NBA franchises are amongst the most valuable in the world of sports.
That shouldn’t come as any surprise, giving the impressive line-up of sponsors that have pumped in money into the league. The NBA’s list of sponsors transcends many industries, from the banking sector to sports betting operators.
The latter have flooded the league in recent years, signing multi-million dollar deals with not just the NBA as an entity, but also with individual franchises.
Hardly does a game go by on TV these days without multiple betting operators advertising their array of NBA betting promotions to the American audience during mid-game breaks.
But of the 30 NBA franchises, which of them are the most valuable?
Several factors contribute to the overall value of an NBA franchise, with the major determinants being the success and prize money gained by the team on court, size of the fan base, tickets sales, investments and sponsorships.
In this article, we break down the top ten most valuable NBA franchises.
10. Dallas Mavericks
Owned by flamboyant billionaire Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks are amongst the most attractive and likable franchises in the NBA.
Cuban purchased a majority stake in the Mavs for $285 million in 2000, and he has spearheaded a transformation that has put the current value of the franchise at $3.26 billion.
According to the 2023 NBA Attendance Report, the Dallas Mavericks are top on the list of home game attendances, with an average attendance of 20,177 spectators.
They have paraded some of the most entertaining players in NBA history, including Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki and Kidd were central to their 2011 team that won Dallas’ only NBA title till date.
The entertainment baton has since been passed to Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, who has become a regular MVP contender in the league. Dallas’ international appeal, plus the other factors mentioned earlier have contributed in positioning them amongst the most valuable teams in the NBA.
9. Houston Rockets
After Dallas, Texas makes another appearance on this list in the form of Houston.
The Houston Rockets have had a great tradition of superstar players, who have left their marks on the NBA.
Generational talent, Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is the greatest of them all, winning two NBA titles with the franchise, while Chinese giant, Yao Ming broke through a brand new market for not only the Rockets, but the NBA as a whole.
James Harden is arguably the peak of the modern day Rockets, and The Beard’s long stint with the franchise further enhanced the marketability and value of the team. Houston is now worth $3.3 billion.
8. Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors enjoy the distinction of being the only Canadian team in the NBA. That has come with its own unique benefits, and their standing soared even further when they claimed an unlikely maiden NBA championship in 2019.
Just over a decade ago, the Raptors were valued at around $400 million, but they are now estimated to be worth $3.34 billion. They have also become Canada’s most valuable sports franchise.
7. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have not been as successful as the Lakers – they are yet to win the NBA – and are seen by outsiders as the second team in Los Angeles, but L.A is clearly big enough for two NBA franchises to co-exist, given the decent following the Clippers enjoy in the city.
The franchise was sold to former Microsoft Chief Executive, Steve Balmer for $2million in 2014, following the scandal involving long-time owner, Donald Sterling. They have slowly but surely improved their standing in the NBA, and are now valued at $3.73. The Clippers will move to a new home court in 2024- another sign of how far they have come in the last decade.
The franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984, having begun as the Buffalo Braves and then the San Diego Clippers. They had limited success in their early decades, but they have improved their post-season record in this century, with their peak result being Conference Finals runners-up in 2021.
Aided by top players like Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers have become a very marketable outfit and have therefore had a surge in value.
6. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets have had several changes in nomenclature over the years. They started out as the New Jersey Americans before switching to the New York Nets. Then they were the New Jersey Nets before adopting their current guise as the Brooklyn Nets when they relocated to Brooklyn in 2012.
With that move, along with the signing of several high-profile NBA personalities has come a sharp increase in the valuation of the franchise.
Within the last decade, Brooklyn had multiple-time MVP, Steve Nash as head coach, and once assembled a heavy-weight roster that included James Harden, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Kyrie Irving in a hot pursuit of a maiden NBA championship.
It did not quite work out for Brooklyn with that ambition, but their all-star collection has boosted the popularity and valuation of the franchise over the last 10 years. They are now valued at $3.86 billion.
5. Boston Celtics
No team has won more NBA Championships than the Boston Celtics, who rightly take their spot as one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA.
Yes, Boston won 13 of their 17 NBA championships between 1957 and 1969, including a record eight successive titles between 1959 and 1966, but they have not been devoid of recent success.
They were champions as recently as 2008.
Like many great franchises, the Celtics have paraded some of the finest talents in sporting history, most notably, Bill Russel, who was pivotal to their dominant run in the 1960s, Larry Bird, who starred for Boston in the 80s, and more recently, superstars like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
These excellent basketball players have ensured that Boston remains relevant, glamorous and very attractive to fans and investors.
The Celtics are now said to be worth $3.92 billion, having been bought by the Boston Basketball Partners for a mere $360 million in 2002.
4. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls had their heyday in the 1990s when Michael Jordan inspired them to six NBA titles within that decade.
That period includes a pair of three-peats, an outstanding achievement that firmly cemented the Bulls into the consciousness of the American and global basketball audience.
Chicago has not been able to replicate those glory days, but the franchise is still benefiting from the incredible legacy of Jordan and company.
The Bulls are now reportedly worth $4.09 billion.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
Ever since their formation as the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1940s, the Lakers have been one of the most fashionable teams in the NBA, and have developed a great penchant for hosting some of the greatest players that have ever graced the NBA.
They have also formed a habit of winning across multiple generations. They share a record of 17 NBA championships with great rivals, Boston Celtics.
George Mikan led the way in the early 50s before Magic Johnson and his Showtime crew took over the stage in the 1980s.
Then it was time for Shaq and Kobe to do their thing in the 2000s. Not only have the Lakers been successful over the years, they have achieved success with style and panache. That resonates nicely with basketball fans around the world.
Their fanbase extends well beyond California, with millions of people across the world identifying with the Lakers. That huge global appeal, along with their sustained success, has played a role in lifting the Lakers to their current estimated worth of $6.44 billion.
2. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have got just the two NBA titles – in 1970 and 1973 – but they remain one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA.
The Knicks may not be the winningest team around, but they’ve got a big fan base, and the fact that they are located in New York is a big pull for investors.
Founded in 1946, the franchise holds a pivotal role in NBA history, having been amongst the original members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which would later become the NBA.
The Knicks remain a brand to be reckoned with, boasting an impressive current worth of around $6.58 billion.
1. Golden State Warriors
Inspired by head coach, Steve Kerr and the legendary Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors have established themselves as one of the greatest teams in the modern era, and by extension, in NBA history.
Of the Warriors seven championships, four of them have come from 2015 and later. Their brand of basketball has revolutionized the game, and their global fan base has significantly widened within the last decade.
With that has come new multi-million dollar sponsorship deals, greater ticket and merchandise sales, and a massive spike in the value of the franchise.
Such is the transformation in the Warriors’ fortunes that they are now considered the most valuable franchise in the NBA, with an estimated worth of $7.56 billion.
