The NBA business has been booming over the past several years, headlined by Steve Ballmer buying the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion and Tilman Fertitta buying the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion - the last two franchises to change ownership.
With a large new influx of television money being pumped into the league - along with the sport's continued growth in popularity both domestically and internationally - teams are worth more than ever before. For the first time ever, every team is valued at at least $1 billion and the average franchise value has tripled over the course of the last five years.
Here's how much every NBA franchise is worth, according to Forbes:
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30) New Orleans Pelicans - $1 billion
29) Memphis Grizzlies - $1.025 billion
28) Charlotte Hornets - $1.05 billion
27) Minnesota Timberwolves - $1.06 billion
26) Milwaukee Bucks - $1.075 billion
25) Detroit Pistons - $1.1 billion
24) Denver Nuggets - $1.125 billion
23) Atlanta Hawks - $1.15 billion
22) Indiana Pacers - $1.175 billion
21) Philadelphia 76ers - $1.18 billion
20) Utah Jazz - $1.2 billion
19) Orlando Magic - $1.225 billion
18) Oklahoma City Thunder - $1.25 billion
17) Phoenix Suns - $1.28 billion
16) Portland Trail Blazers - $1.3 billion
15) Cleveland Cavaliers - $1.325 billion
14) Washington Wizards - $1.35 billion
13) Sacramento Kings - $1.275 billion
12) Toronto Raptors - $1.4 billion
11) San Antonio Spurs - $1.55 billion
10) Miami Heat - $1.7 billion
9) Dallas Mavericks - $1.9 billion
8) Los Angeles Clippers - $2.15 billion
7) Houston Rockets - $2.2 billion
6) Brooklyn Nets - $2.3 billion
5) Boston Celtics - $2.5 billion
4) Chicago Bulls - $2.6 billion
3) Golden State Warriors - $3.1 billion
2) Los Angeles Lakers - $3.3 billion
1) New York Knicks - $3.6 billion
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It should come as no surprise that market size matters, with all of the league's top franchises coming in most of the country's most populous cities. New arenas will also do wonders to boost a franchise's value, as shown by the Kings and Pistons seeing big increases in value.
That will bode well for the Bucks and Warriors, both of whom are set to move into new arenas in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Once they move into the new Chase Center in San Francisco, many expect Golden State to take over the Knicks as the most valuable NBA franchise.
In some cases, much of a team's value can be directly tied to one player. If LeBron James leaves the Cavs in free agency this offseason, the value of the franchise is projected to drop to one of the lowest in the league.
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