Rankings6
Who comes out on top
Richest owners, best returns, biggest gains this year, longest held and oldest owners.
- 1Steve Ballmer$164.2B
- 2Miriam Adelson$30.3B
- 3Robert Pera$29.6B
30 teams · 36 owners · updated 28 October 2026
Who owns every NBA team, what they paid, and what it is worth now
Every team has a page with each owner since its founding and its value year by year. Every owner has a page with their businesses, their other teams and what they have said.
All 30 teams$183.8BForbes, Oct 2026 · up 14% in a year
Average team$6.1BHighest: Warriors, $13.5B
Record price$12.5BLakers sale agreed August 2026
Richest owner$164.2BSteve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers
All 30 teams rose in value this year
Change in the Forbes estimate between October 2025 and October 2026. The New York Knicks gained most, up 29%.
League at a glance
Click a team or an owner to open its page. Click a column heading to sort, or pick where the money comes from.
| Owner | Source of wealth | Price paid | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | Tony Ressler | 66 | Lending and investment funds (Ares) | 2015 | $850M | $5.75B | +15% | $11.4B |
| Boston Celtics | Bill Chisholm | 57 | Buyouts of software companies (STG) | 2025 | $6.1B valuation for 51% | $7B | +4% | $3.18B |
| Brooklyn Nets | Joe Tsai | 62 | Alibaba, Chinese online shopping | 2019 | $2.35B valuation | $6.5B | +16% | $12B |
| Charlotte Hornets | Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin | 56 | Private equity; hedge funds | 2023 | About $3.0B valuation | $4.4B | +16% | No estimate |
| Chicago Bulls | Jerry Reinsdorf | 90 | Real estate partnerships | 1985 | $16M | $6.7B | +12% | $2.3B |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Dan Gilbert | 64 | Online mortgages (Rocket) | 2005 | $375M | $5.5B | +15% | $20B |
| Dallas Mavericks | Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont | 81 | Casino resorts (Las Vegas Sands) | 2023 | $3.5B valuation for about 69% | $5.8B | +14% | $30.3B |
| Denver Nuggets | Stan Kroenke | 79 | Shopping centres anchored by Walmart | 2000 | $450M with a hockey team and arena | $5.15B | +12% | $27.6B |
| Detroit Pistons | Tom Gores | 62 | Buying and fixing companies (Platinum Equity) | 2011 | $325M | $4.2B | +15% | $10.6B |
| Golden State Warriors | Joe Lacob | 70 | Venture capital (Kleiner Perkins) | 2010 | $450M | $13.5B | +23% | $2.3B |
| Houston Rockets | Tilman Fertitta | 69 | Restaurants, casinos and hotels | 2017 | $2.2B | $6.6B | +12% | $11.4B |
| Indiana Pacers | Herb Simon | 92 | Shopping malls (Simon Property Group) | 1983 | $11M | $4.55B | +8% | $7.6B |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Steve Ballmer | 70 | Microsoft shares | 2014 | About $2.0B | $7.8B | +4% | $164.2B |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Mark Walter; sale to Josh Kushner group pending | 66 | Investment management and insurance (Guggenheim) | 2025 | $10.0B valuation | $12.5B | +25% | $7.3B |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Robert Pera | 48 | Wireless network equipment (Ubiquiti) | 2012 | $377M | $4B | +14% | $29.6B |
| Miami Heat | Micky Arison | 77 | Cruise ships (Carnival) | 1995 | $68M to buy out partners | $6.1B | +7% | $11.8B |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam | 64 | Investment funds; truck stops | 2014 | $550M | $4.6B | +7% | $2.4B |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez; sale to Marc Stad pending | 55 | Online shopping companies | 2025 | $1.5B valuation, set in 2021 | $4.18B | +16% | $5.1B |
| New Orleans Pelicans | Gayle Benson | 79 | Inherited from car-dealer husband | 2012; inherited 2018 | $338M | $4.1B | +15% | $11.2B |
| New York Knicks | James Dolan | 71 | Family cable TV company (Cablevision) | 1994 | $1.1B bundle with arena, TV network and Rangers | $12.6B | +29% | No estimate |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Clay Bennett | 66 | Private investing; family media wealth | 2006 | $350M | $4.9B | +13% | No estimate |
| Orlando Magic | DeVos family; Dan DeVos, chairman | about 67 | Amway direct selling | 1991 | $85M | $4.5B | +15% | No estimate |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Josh Harris | 61 | Investment firm Apollo | 2011 | $280M | $6.4B | +17% | $11.7B |
| Phoenix Suns | Mat Ishbia | 46 | Wholesale home loans (UWM) | 2023 | $4.0B valuation for 57% | $6B | +11% | $6.3B |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Tom Dundon | 55 | Car loans to buyers with poor credit | 2026 | $4.25B valuation | $4.3B | +1% | $2.3B |
| Sacramento Kings | Vivek Ranadivé | 69 | Real-time data software (TIBCO) | 2013 | $534M valuation for 65% | $4.7B | +6% | No estimate |
| San Antonio Spurs | Holt family; Peter J. Holt, managing partner | about 40 | Caterpillar equipment dealer (HOLT CAT) | 1996 | Unclear; $75M to $76M reported | $5.6B | +27% | No estimate |
| Toronto Raptors | Rogers Communications; Edward Rogers | 57 | Canadian mobile-phone and cable company | 2012 to 2026 | No team-only price | $5.9B | +9% | No estimate |
| Utah Jazz | Ryan Smith | 48 | Survey software (Qualtrics) | 2020 | $1.66B | $4.75B | +16% | $3.3B |
| Washington Wizards | Ted Leonsis | 69 | AOL shares | 2010 | $551M valuation with arena | $5.2B | +11% | $4.5B |
Team value is the Forbes estimate of October 2026. Net worth is the latest Forbes estimate. Where two people share a team, the age and net worth are the first person's.
What teams have actually sold for
Every sale of control or of a minority stake since 1998 with a published price, shown as the value it put on the whole team. The scale is logarithmic: each gridline is about three times the one below.
Sale of controlMinority stakeAgreed, not yet closed
What the purchase price has become
Each team's Forbes value today as a multiple of what the current owner paid, oldest purchase first. The scale is logarithmic: each gridline is ten times the one before.
1x10x100x
Indiana Pacers1983414x15% a year
Chicago Bulls1985419x16% a year
Orlando Magic199153x12% a year
Denver Nuggets200029x14% a year
Cleveland Cavaliers200515x14% a year
Oklahoma City Thunder200614x14% a year
Golden State Warriors201030x24% a year
Washington Wizards20109.4x15% a year
Detroit Pistons201113x19% a year
Philadelphia 76ers201123x23% a year
Memphis Grizzlies201211x18% a year
New Orleans Pelicans201212x20% a year
Sacramento Kings20138.8x18% a year
Los Angeles Clippers20143.9x12% a year
Milwaukee Bucks20148.4x19% a year
Atlanta Hawks20156.8x19% a year
Houston Rockets20173.0x13% a year
Brooklyn Nets20192.8x16% a year
Utah Jazz20202.9x19% a year
Minnesota Timberwolves20212.8x23% a year
Charlotte Hornets20231.5xunder 5 years
Dallas Mavericks20231.7xunder 5 years
Phoenix Suns20231.5xunder 5 years
Boston Celtics20251.1xunder 5 years
Los Angeles Lakers20251.2xunder 5 years
Portland Trail Blazers20261.0xunder 5 years26 teams with a clear purchase price; the Knicks, Raptors, Heat and Spurs are left out. The Nuggets row uses Forbes' $175M share of a $450M package, and the Timberwolves row is dated 2021, when that price was set. Yearly growth is shown for teams held five years or more: 12% to 24% a year.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
Sales, stake sales, penalties and pending deals, newest first.
- 26 Oct 2026New York Knicks
MSG Sports completed its split: the Knicks are now in MSG Knickerbockers Corp. (MSGK) and the Rangers in MSG Rangers Corp. (MSGR). Both began trading on 27 October; Dolan family control is unchanged.
- 23 Oct 2026Toronto Raptors
Rogers said it paid the C$4.35B for Kilmer's 25% of MLSE with short-term credit drawn on 1 October, and repeated its plan to sell a minority stake in Rogers Sports by the first half of 2027.
- 23 Oct 2026Los Angeles Clippers
Front Office Sports reported that the Justice Department investigation of Leonard and the Clippers is continuing; no charges have been reported.
- 22 Oct 2026Los Angeles Clippers
Ballmer remained suspended as the Clippers opened the season, with interim governor John Gibson running the team.
- 17 Oct 2026Golden State Warriors
Forbes published its 2026 values: all 30 teams together are worth $183.8B, up from $160.7B a year earlier. The Warriors lead at $13.5B.
- 17 Oct 2026Minnesota Timberwolves
Forbes' 2026 list still described Lore's sale of control to Marc Stad as pending NBA approval.
- 16 Oct 2026Los Angeles Lakers
Co-trustees Joey and Janie Buss filed a 29-page opposition to Jeanie Buss's petition, and ESPN reported that an NBA vote on the Kushner-Iger purchase is expected in November.
- 16 Oct 2026Dallas Mavericks
Forbes values the Mavericks at $5.8B, 13th in the NBA, with 2025-26 revenue of $407M and operating income of $44M.
- 16 Oct 2026Houston Rockets
Forbes values the Rockets at $6.6B, 7th in the NBA, with 2025-26 revenue of $523M and operating income of $178M.
- 16 Oct 2026Memphis Grizzlies
Forbes values the Grizzlies at $4.0B, 30th, with 2025-26 revenue of $332M and operating income of $59M.
- 16 Oct 2026New Orleans Pelicans
Forbes values the Pelicans at $4.1B, 29th in the NBA, with 2025-26 revenue of $348M and operating income of $87M.
- 16 Oct 2026San Antonio Spurs
Forbes values the Spurs at $5.6B, 15th in the NBA and up 27% in a year, with 2025-26 revenue of $474M and operating income of $171M.
- 11 Oct 2026Dallas Mavericks
Patrick Dumont told The Athletic the new arena will be built apart from any casino resort, as the Valley View site cannot fit both, and that the group will look over time to buy 20 more points from Mark Cuban.
- 9 Oct 2026Houston Rockets
Sportico values the Rockets at $6.92B, 10th in the NBA.
- 9 Oct 2026Memphis Grizzlies
Sportico values the Grizzlies at $4.2B, last of the 30 teams.
- 8 Oct 2026Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis and Shelby County Sports Authority voted on a Flintco construction contract for FedExForum renovations, described as a step toward a new lease; no lease had been signed as of 13 October.
- 1 Oct 2026Toronto Raptors
Rogers completed its C$4.35B purchase of the last 25% of parent company MLSE and now owns all of it.
- 21 Sep 2026Los Angeles Clippers
Lawyer John S. Gibson became interim chief executive and governor.
- 2 Sep 2026Los Angeles Clippers
The NBA suspended Steve Ballmer for one year, fined the team $30M and took five first-round draft picks, over an endorsement deal for player Kawhi Leonard.
- 1 Sep 2026Denver Nuggets
Stan Kroenke's company agreed to buy control of baseball's Los Angeles Angels. Closing is expected in early 2027.
- 21 Aug 2026pendingMinnesota Timberwolves
Marc Lore agreed to sell control to investor Marc Stad at a $4.5B valuation.
- 12 Aug 2026pendingLos Angeles Lakers
Mark Walter agreed to sell about 65% to a group led by Josh Kushner, with Bob Iger, at a $12.5B valuation.
Explore
Three more ways into the numbers.
Compare
Any two, side by side
Pick two teams or two owners and see their values on one chart.
Sports empires25
Beyond basketball
25 of the 36 owners also own teams in other major leagues.
Stan Kroenke leads with 6 teams beyond the NBA, from the Rams to Arsenal.
NFLMLBNHLMLSWNBAPremier League
Explore the empires →New
Five new ways in
Follow the money from revenue to record sales, see which funds are buying stakes, test the owners against the stock market and find where they all live.
The money$14.0Bleague revenue, 2025-26
Who keeps the most
The Golden State Warriors made $364M in operating income. Across the league, 30 cents of every dollar was left after costs.
RevenueOperating income
Every sale since 199876deals with a price
From $150M to $12.5B
The top price for a team has risen 83 times in 28 years. Read the story behind each of the 15 new highs.
Nets 1998$150MLakers 2026 (agreed)$12.5B
Minority investors11teams with a fund inside
The funds buying in
Who holds what, the rules they follow and the people who have owned pieces of more than one team.
- Blue Owl5 teamsSACATLCHAMINCLE
- Arctos (KKR)4 teamsGSWSACPHIUTA
- Sixth Street2 teamsSASBOS
- Qatar's state fund1 teamWAS
One fund may own up to 20% of a team, and all funds together up to 30%.
Teams vs stocks30 of 30teams beat the S&P 500
Did owners beat the market?
Pick any team, year and amount and compare it with an index fund, dividends included.
Team valueS&P 500
Warriors since 1998104x10x
Pacers since 1983414x149x
League map12 of 31owners live near their team
Where the owners live
Every team sized by its value, and the distance from each owner's home to the arena: up to 8,053 miles.
Open the map →