NBA Team Valuations Skyrocket After Record Los Angeles Lakers Sale
The recent record-setting sale of the Los Angeles Lakers, valued at $12.5 billion, is significantly influencing the financial standing of all NBA franchises. This transaction, from Mark Walter to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger, is projected to elevate the average NBA team valuation by 21%, reaching an estimated $6.68 billion.
This $12.5 billion deal represents approximately 20 times the Lakers' revenue for the 2025-2026 season, setting a new precedent for NBA team control stake multiples. CNBC has revised its earlier February valuations for all 30 teams to reflect this substantial increase.
While the Golden State Warriors continue to hold the top spot, their value has risen to $13 billion from $10.8 billion. Notably, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls have experienced the most significant growth, each increasing by 26% since February.
CNBC's valuation methodology considers historical sale prices, revenue multiples, arena economics, market size, and investor interest. The following table presents the updated real-time valuations for all 30 NBA teams, with revenue and EBITDA figures based on the 2024-2025 season as originally reported in February.
CNBC’s Real-Time NBA Valuations
| Rank | Team | Real-time Value | Change in Value (since 2/13/2026) | Value (Original) | One-Year Value Change (%) | Revenue (2024-2025) | EBITDA (2024-2025) | Debt as % of Value | Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | $13B | 20% | $10.8B | 15% | $840M | $362M | 7% | Joe Lacob, Peter Guber |
| 2 | New York Knicks | $12.7B | 26% | $10.1B | 35% | $619M | $91M | 3% | Madison Square Garden Sports |
| 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | $12.5B | 25% | $10B | 43% | $565M | $158M | 4% | Mark Walter |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | $8.3B | 20% | $6.9B | 28% | $492M | $146M | 3% | Steve Ballmer |
| 5 | Chicago Bulls | $8.1B | 26% | $6.45B | 11% | $413M | $121M | 3% | Jerry Reinsdorf |
| 6 | Houston Rockets | $7.65B | 20% | $6.35B | 11% | $437M | $126M | 3% | Tilman Fertitta |
| 7 | Boston Celtics | $7.5B | 19% | $6.3B | 15% | $439M | $-15M | 3% | William Chisholm |
| 8 | Philadelphia 76ers | $7.35B | 20% | $6.1B | 24% | $425M | $125M | 3% | Josh Harris, David Blitzer |
| 9 | Miami Heat | $7.3B | 21% | $6.05B | 19% | $420M | $96M | 7% | Micky Arison |
| 10 | Brooklyn Nets | $7.1B | 18% | $6B | 7% | $409M | $80M | 13% | Joe Tsai |
| 11 | Dallas Mavericks | $6.7B | 22% | $5.5B | 10% | $356M | $-26M | 4% | Miriam Adelson and Patrick and Sivan Dumont, Mark Cuban |
| 12 | Atlanta Hawks | $6.35B | 18% | $5.4B | 26% | $448M | $103M | 4% | Tony Ressler, Jami Gertz |
| 13 | Toronto Raptors | $6.4B | 20% | $5.35B | 19% | $383M | $103M | 4% | Rogers Communications, Larry Tanenbaum |
| 14 | Phoenix Suns | $6.3B | 19% | $5.3B | 15% | $399M | $-81M | 6% | Mat Ishbia, Justin Ishbia |
| 15 | Sacramento Kings | $6.2B | 18% | $5.25B | 18% | $450M | $90M | 13% | Vivek Ranadivé |
| 16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | $6.1B | 18% | $5.15B | 18% | $438M | $121M | 4% | Dan Gilbert |
| 17 | Washington Wizards | $5.75B | 19% | $4.85B | 14% | $373M | $118M | 4% | Ted Leonsis |
| 18 | Denver Nuggets | $5.6B | 19% | $4.7B | 12% | $398M | $74M | 3% | Stan Kroenke |
| 19 | Milwaukee Bucks | $5.4B | 20% | $4.5B | 10% | $358M | $0M | 7% | Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan, Jimmy and Dee Haslam |
| 20 | Utah Jazz | $5.25B | 21% | $4.35B | 16% | $385M | $116M | 7% | Ryan Smith, Ashley Smith |
| 21 | San Antonio Spurs | $5.2B | 21% | $4.3B | 16% | $353M | $103M | 5% | Holt family, Sixth Street Partners |
| 22 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $5.15B | 21% | $4.25B | 21% | $371M | $97M | 5% | Clayton Bennett, George Kaiser |
| 23 | Indiana Pacers | $5.1B | 21% | $4.2B | 24% | $394M | $113M | 5% | Herb Simon and Stephen Simon, Steven Rales |
| 24 | Portland Trail Blazers | $5B | 22% | $4.1B | 12% | $315M | $15M | 4% | Paul G. Allen Trust |
| 25 | Orlando Magic | $5.05B | 25% | $4.05B | 14% | $334M | $97M | 5% | DeVos family |
| 26 | Detroit Pistons | $4.9B | 23% | $4B | 16% | $331M | $114M | 5% | Tom Gores |
| 27 | Charlotte Hornets | $4.75B | 22% | $3.9B | 16% | $326M | $61M | 8% | Rich Schnall, Gabe Plotkin |
| 28 | New Orleans Pelicans | $4.6B | 19% | $3.85B | 17% | $328M | $83M | 6% | Gayle Benson |
| 29 | Minnesota Timberwolves | $4.65B | 22% | $3.8B | 17% | $339M | $-56M | 6% | Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez |
| 30 | Memphis Grizzlies | $4.55B | 21% | $3.75B | 17% | $330M | $77M | 9% | Robert Pera |
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