Stephen Curry has done wonders for the Golden State Warriors franchise. He has not only brought the city of San Francisco four NBA championships since 2015, but he has also taken the Warriors from the bottom of the league to the top in total franchise valuation.
The Warriors have been atop the NBA's franchise valuation list for the last six years during the Curry Era, and that has not changed in Sportico's latest valuation projections. Together, the 30 NBA franchises are valued at $199 billion, with the Warriors alone in the No. 1 spot at $14.5 billion, up 28% from their 2025 valuation of $11.3 billion.
Joe Lacob and his ownership group originally purchased the Warriors in July 2010 for an estimated valuation of $450 million, which was a then-record price. Between already having Curry and then drafting both Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as signing Andre Iguodala in 2013 and hiring Steve Kerr as the head coach in 2014, Lacob immediately watched his franchise grow into the league's best.
Since purchasing the Warriors, Lacob has seen this organization grow by over 3,100% over the last 16 years, an increase of $14.05 billion from 2010 to 2026.
Right behind the Warriors are the New York Knicks, valued at $12.8 billion, and the Los Angeles Lakers, valued at $12.5 billion.
The Knicks have long been near the top of the valuations list, and their recent championship run during the 2025-26 season pushed them past the Lakers for the No. 2 spot on this year's rankings.
Following their $10 billion sale to Mark Walter in 2025, the Lakers ranked second with a valuation of $10 billion. This year, the Lakers are third with a valuation of $12.5 billion, the same amount that the group led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger bought the LA franchise for from Walter this summer.
Here are the top 10 teams in terms of total valuation entering the 2026-27 NBA season, per Sportico:
- Golden State Warriors – $14.5 billion
- New York Knicks – $12.8 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers – $12.5 billion
- LA Clippers – $8.21 billion
- Chicago Bulls – $8.13 billion
- Miami Heat – $8.05 billion
- Boston Celtics – $8 billion
- Brooklyn Nets – $7.45 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers – $7.15 billion
- Houston Rockets – $6.92 billion
The Memphis Grizzlies ranked 30th on Sportico's list with a valuation of $4.2 billion.
Overall, the NBA finds itself in a great spot. The average NBA team is valued at a 14.6 multiple, which is up 13.5 percent from 2025 and the highest multiple among all major North American sports leagues: NFL (12.7), NHL (9.4), MLS (9.2), and MLB (7.2).
Article Continues BelowDuring the 2025-26 NBA season, the 30 teams generated an estimated $13.7 billion, which is roughly $456 million per club. That is the second-highest average revenue among the major sports leagues, trailing just the NFL at $733 million.
In terms of the Warriors, their average revenue was far higher than any other organization at $895 million net of their revenue-sharing bill. This was 26% higher than the Knicks' reported revenue.
Between the NBA's new 11-year, $76 billion media deal kicking in, multiple franchises growing into title contenders, and the boom in talent across the nation, the league has never been in a better place.