These Are The Top 10 Most Valuable NBA Franchises

ByJoey Heldon November 6, 2019inArticles›Sports News

The NBA has never been more popular. The game is beloved universally, even if the occasional comment gets the league in hot water overseas (ask Rockets GM Daryl Morey about that one). As a result, the average worth of an NBA franchise has risen exponentially, as seen in the annual Forbes franchise valuation list.

Even the least valuable team – the Memphis Grizzlies, if you’re scoring at home – is worth $1.2 billion. That’s not a bad chunk of change. But it pales in comparison to the ten most valuable squads. And once again, the team at the top of this list proves that winning isn’t everything.

New York Knicks – $4 Billion

The Knicks haven’t had a winning record or made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, but that hasn’t stopped them from being the most valuable franchise in the league. Owned by the Madison Square Garden Company, the Knicks play in arguably the most prestigious arena in the league in the country’s largest city. That adds up to a lot of value, even if the product on the court isn’t great.

Los Angeles Lakers – $3.7 Billion

It helps that the Lakers signed LeBron James in 2018 and scored Anthony Davis this offseason, but they’re still routinely among the NBA’s most valuable teams. They play in a major city and seeing several celebrities courtside every game doesn’t hurt, either. The Lakers’ storied history has also been a boon to their success, but even with their struggles the past several seasons, they’re still in great shape.

Golden State Warriors – $3.5 Billion

No team has risen in value faster than the Warriors. Their 13 percent jump last year seems modest compared to their growth since Joe Lacob and Peter Guber purchased the franchise in 2010. Back then, the Warriors were worth $450 million . But thanks to a likable team primarily grown through the draft – plus three championships in the past five years – the Warriors have jumped tremendously. The new San Francisco-based stadium they unveiled this year will boost that growth even more, even if the team is not as strong as they have been in previous iterations.

Chicago Bulls – $2.9 Billion

The Chicago Bulls last won a championship in 1998, when Michael Jordan , Scottie Pippen , Dennis Rodman , Phil Jackson and company led the team to their sixth title in eight years. Since then, it’s been several disappointing seasons sprinkled in with a handful of perennial playoff teams that typically have lost in the first or second round. But Chicagoans always pack the United Center, remaining fiercely loyal to their team through thick and thin. That loyalty makes the Bulls a mainstay in the top NBA franchises.

The duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis helps make the Lakers one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Boston Celtics – $2.8 Billion

The Celtics are the most decorated team in NBA history, and that’s helped make them one of the most valuable franchises in the league. With several young, exciting players on the roster like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics look like they’ll be strong contenders in the Eastern Conference for the next several years.

Brooklyn Nets – $2.35 Billion

The Nets only rose 2 percent in value from 2018, but expect that growth to increase exponentially next year. That’s when Kevin Durant will be back in the lineup. Paired with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan , he could help bring the Nets its first-ever NBA championship. And that would bring a ton of value to the franchise.

Houston Rockets – $2.3 Billion

Home to perhaps the NBA’s most iconic player – even if you don’t like James Harden , his beard is one of the league’s instantly recognizable brands – the Rockets also gained great value internationally when they drafted Yao Ming . The center has long since retired, but the Rockets are still benefitting. Can they finally get over the hump this year and bring Houston its first NBA title since 1995? If they do, they’ll likely be even higher on this list next year.

Dallas Mavericks – $2.25 Billion

Led by international stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks’ 18 percent growth is higher than any other team on the list. They haven’t missed a beat in the wake of Dirk Nowtizki’s retirement. Billionaire owner Mark Cuban helps the team gain value, too. His appearances on Shark Tank keep the Mavericks in people’s minds, even if they’re not NBA fans.

Los Angeles Clippers – $2.2 Billion

Do you think Steve Ballmer is miffed by his return on investment? He purchased the Clippers for $2 billion in 2014, and they’ve grown just 10 percent in the five years since. Of course, 10 percent of $2 billion is still $200 million, so don’t feel too bad for Ballmer. Perhaps an even more amazing fact: the Clippers have never even made it to the Conference Finals, let alone the NBA Finals. But with reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and regular All-Star Paul George now on the roster, the Clippers could have their most successful season in franchise history. And that’ll make Ballmer the happiest of all.

Miami Heat – $1.75 Billion

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The 10 Highest Paid NBA Stars Will Each Earn $40+ Million Next Season

ByJoey Heldon September 2, 2021inArticles›Sports News

The frenzy of NBA free agency is behind us, and teams are now starting to look toward the upcoming season. Before things tip off, every team is buzzing with excitement; even the worst squads in the league have hope when the games haven’t yet been played.

Players will be excited to get back on the court, and some are more amped than others. That’s because, for the first time in NBA history, the league’s top stars are all going to be making huge dollars. Ten players will take home at least $39.3 million with their contracts. Paired with possible incentives, endorsement deals, and other perks, they’ll all easily clear $40 million.

Here’s a look at the league’s highest-paid players for the 2021-22 season, with salaries rounded to the nearest $100,000:

Steph Curry , Golden State Warriors — $45.8 million

If you think Steph Curry makes an absurd amount of money, you’re not wrong — but the Warriors likely consider it payback for the beginning of his career, when he was wildly underpaid. Curry was on a four-year, $44 million contract that kicked in during the 2013-14 season. That means he was making just $11 million per year during the Warriors’ first championship run, the season they went 73-9, and their second championship. He signed a four-year, $215 million extension this summer, which will pay him just under $60 million during the final season of the contract.

John Wall , Houston Rockets — $44.3 million

The second-highest-paid player on this list, Wall also may be the most fragile. He suffered an Achilles injury during the 2018-19 season which forced him to miss 50 games that year, the entirety of the following season, and 42 games this past season. But he’s looking for a second chance at stardom in Houston, which could land him another lucrative deal after this one’s up (though it likely won’t be worth nearly as much). Wall has a player option next season for more than $47.3 million — it would be absolutely shocking if he turns that down.

James Harden , Brooklyn Nets — $44.3 million

James Harden started last season with the Rockets — where he signed an extension worth $228 million in 2017 — before being traded to Brooklyn. Harden has a player option for the next season worth $46.8 million, though he may decline it to sign a longer deal with the Nets. His first season on his new team didn’t go nearly as smoothly as he’d hoped. He missed games during both the regular season and playoffs due to injury, and he enters this year still searching for his first-ever NBA title.

Steph Curry (L) and Kevin Durant (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Russell Westbrook , Los Angeles Lakers — $44.2 million

In acquiring Wall, the Rockets traded one $40+ million man for another. Westbrook signed a massive deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and since inking that extension he’s moved on to the Rockets, the Washington Wizards, and now the Los Angeles Lakers. It’ll be fascinating to see how he fits alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis . But one thing’s for sure: the team is going to have a ton of guys that aren’t afraid of taking over a game.

Kevin Durant , Brooklyn Nets — $42 million

Durant came one toe on the line away from sending the Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they likely would have been favorites to win the NBA title. He’ll get another crack at it this year, though he’s hoping he has a healthy surrounding cast, including Harden and Kyrie Irving . On top of next year’s salary of $40.9 million, Durant can also earn $1.1 million in likely incentives. He may be the best player in the NBA right now and just inked a long-term deal to stay in Brooklyn through the 2025-26 season.

LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers — $41.2 million

James has had a rollercoaster of a career in Los Angeles since joining the Lakers back in 2018. He suffered an extensive injury his first year as the Lakers missed the playoffs entirely, but bounced back to capture his fourth NBA championship and Finals MVP in the NBA Bubble. This past year, the Lakers made the play-in tournament, defeating the Golden State Warriors to earn the seventh seed. They were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Suns, but are back to being among the title favorites heading into this season. James is also perhaps the most popular player across the world; with the revenue and number of fans he brings to the league, he’s arguably wildly underpaid .

Giannis Antetokounmpo , Milwaukee Bucks — $39.3 million

The reigning Finals MVP has been living the good life in Milwaukee. He helped end the city’s 50-year championship drought and re-upped to stay in town for the long run. With an extremely likable personality off the court, Antetokounmpo will likely add on quite a bit to next year’s salary with new sponsorship and endorsement opportunities.

Paul George , Los Angeles Clippers — $39.3 million

Though George may not have fully shaken off the “Pandemic P” nickname during this year’s playoffs, he did help lead the Clippers to the franchise’s first Western Conference Finals while his teammate Kawhi Leonard sat out with a knee injury. George and Leonard joined the Clippers together back in 2019. The former signed an extension before the start of last season while the latter just agreed to a four-year deal this summer. Both of the Southern California players are set on one thing: winning a championship in front of their hometown fans.

Kawhi Leonard , Los Angeles Clippers — $39.3 million

Leonard is probably the best two-way player in the league, though he comes with the caveat that he’s going to miss several games every year. Whether through load management or an injury, Leonard has sat out 73, 22, 15, and 20 games during the past four seasons. He’ll likely miss most or all of this upcoming season while recovering from his latest knee injury, but he offers enough when healthy that the Clippers were comfortable signing him to a massive deal.

Damian Lillard , Portland Trail Blazers — $39.3 million

We know Damian Lillard will make $39.3 million this season. We don’t know if he’ll still be on the Blazers when all is said and done. The team’s star player has expressed frustration with the franchise as they made offseason personnel moves, including bringing in Chauncey Billups as head coach. There have been rumblings of a potential trade request, though it’s unclear how much validity there is to those rumors. Regardless of where Lillard plays, you can bet he’ll have at least one clutch shot that we’re all celebrating at some point this season.

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