Teams/Central Division
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have no single controlling owner: Wes Edens, governor since 2023, is due to hand the seat to Jimmy Haslam in 2028. Edens and Marc Lasry paid $550M in 2014; Forbes values the team at $4.6B, and it has had four ownership eras since 1968.
Every owner since the start
- 2014 to todayWes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan; Jimmy Haslam replaced Lasry in 2023
Bought from Herb Kohl for $550M. In April 2023 the Haslams bought Lasry's 25% for $800M (first reports: $875M).
- 1985 to 2014Herb Kohl
Bought from Jim Fitzgerald for $18M in March 1985. Fitzgerald refused a higher Minnesota bid to keep the team in Milwaukee.
- 1976 to 1985Jim Fitzgerald and partners
Bought; price not found. He had been a minority owner.
- 1968 to 1976Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc., led by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman
Founded. The franchise was awarded on 22 January 1968; the reported expansion fee was $2M.
Value over time
- 12014 Edens and Lasry buy, $550M
- 22023 Haslam buys Lasry 25%, $800M
Show the numbers
| Year | Forbes value |
|---|---|
| 1998 | $94M |
| 1999 | $111M |
| 2000 | $131M |
| 2002 | $150M |
| 2003 | $168M |
| 2004 | $199M |
| 2005 | $231M |
| 2007 | $264M |
| 2008 | $278M |
| 2009 | $254M |
| 2011 | $258M |
| 2012 | $268M |
| 2013 | $312M |
| 2014 | $405M |
| 2015 | $600M |
| 2016 | $675M |
| 2017 | $785M |
| 2018 | $1.07B |
| 2019 | $1.35B |
| 2020 | $1.58B |
| 2021 | $1.9B |
| 2022 | $2.3B |
| 2023 | $3.2B |
| 2024 | $4B |
| 2025 | $4.3B |
| 2026 | $4.6B |
| Year | Sale | Team valued at |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agree to buy the team from Herb Kohl for $550M; NBA approval followed in May | $550M |
| 2023 | Jimmy and Dee Haslam buy Marc Lasry's 25% for $800M at a $3.2B valuation (first reports: $875M at $3.5B) | $3.2B |
| 2024 | Junior Bridgeman buys 10% from small holders; price undisclosed, CNBC first reported a $4B team valuation | $4B |
Forbes valued the Bucks at $94M in 1998 and $4.6B in 2026, about 48.9 times as much. The biggest one-year jump was $900M, from $2.3B in 2022 to $3.2B in 2023, a 39% rise.
How the current owner bought it
- Edens and Marc Lasry agreed the $550M deal with Herb Kohl on 16 April 2014. Jamie Dinan later joined as a third principal partner.
- The sale had a condition: without a new arena by about 2017-18, the league could take the team back.
- On 14 April 2023 the NBA approved the sale of Lasry's roughly 25% to Jimmy and Dee Haslam.
- Forbes, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wikipedia put that deal at $800M and a $3.2B valuation. First reports said $875M and $3.5B.
Partners in the team
| Partner | Stake | Who they are |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy and Dee Haslam | about 25% | Owners of Haslam Sports Group. Their 2023 price implies $3.2B for the whole team (first reports: $3.5B). |
| Estate of Junior Bridgeman | 10% | Former Bucks player who bought in September 2024 from small holders; he has since died. The team did not disclose the price; CNBC first reported a $4B team valuation. |
Stake sizes were not found for Edens, Dinan, Mike Fascitelli or other listed partners such as quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
How the team is run
- The governor seat, the team's vote at the league, rotates in five-year terms regardless of stake size. Edens held it from 2014 to 2019, then Lasry until 2023.
- Haslam said in October 2023 that major decisions, including large player contracts, need approval from both him and Edens.
- In 2026 president Peter Feigin left and was replaced by Josh Glessing, a Haslam Sports Group executive.
- Edens said in March 2026 that Giannis Antetokounmpo would be extended or traded. He was traded to the Miami Heat in June 2026.
- One newspaper estimate put the team's luxury tax bill, the league's charge on high payrolls, at $190.6M since 2020-21.
Quick answers
Who owns the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Bucks have no single controlling owner: Wes Edens, governor since 2023, is due to hand the seat to Jimmy Haslam in 2028.
How much are the Milwaukee Bucks worth?
Forbes values the Milwaukee Bucks at $4.6B in its October 2026 list, up 7% from $4.3B a year earlier. That makes them the 22nd most valuable of the 30 teams; in 1998 Forbes put the team at $94M.
How much did the current owner pay for the Bucks?
$550M (Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam, 2014). Forbes now values the team at 8.4 times that price.
Who owned the Milwaukee Bucks before the current owner?
Herb Kohl (1985 to 2014). Bought from Jim Fitzgerald for $18M in March 1985. Fitzgerald refused a higher Minnesota bid to keep the team in Milwaukee.
Open questions
- No primary document confirms the handover year: Hoops Rumors and Bleacher Report say 2028, Brew Hoop says 2029.
- Sources differ on whether Herb Kohl kept a minority stake after 2014.
- What happens to the Bridgeman estate's 10% was not found.
- Edens's and Dinan's percentages are still not published.