Buying an NBA team in the 1980s and 1990s has become the easiest way to become a billionaire. The teams were bought for anywhere from $50 million to $300 million. Now, the average value of an NBA team is $2.86 billion. However, for most owners, it isn't about the money. The owners take pride in winning championships and being one of the most successful owners in the league. The money that comes with it is a bonus. Let's rank the NBA team owners from worst to first.
30. James Dolan
Dolan bought the New York Knicks in 1997 for $300 million. The team currently has a value of $6.58 billion. An NBA owner has to be bad at his job if their franchise has grown this much, and he still ranks last on this list. Dolan's investment has increased by $6.2 billion since 1997, but he hasn't even won a championship. He has also made some mistakes as an owner, including poor workplace behavior and banning media from doing their jobs. Dolan's tenure has been a series of misfortune, including a claim from Commissioner David Stern that the Knicks are “not an example of intelligent management.”
29. Glen Taylor
Taylor purchased the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995 for $88.5 million. They currently have a value of $1.67 billion. Taylor will not be the owner of the Timberwolves for long. He has an agreement to sell the Timberwolves for $1.5 billion over three years. Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore will take control of the organization. Taylor has had no success during his tenure and is most known for two mistakes. He gave Joe Smith a secret contract that had him banned for an entire season and a secret deal to allow Kevin Garnett to become a minority owner that he went back on. Timberwolves fans won't be sad to see him go.
28. Vivek Ranadive
Ranadive bought the Sacramento Kings in 2013 for $534 million. The team currently has a value of $2.03 billion. Ranadive has almost quadrupled his investment but hasn't made much of an impact on basketball. The longest playoff drought in North American professional sports finally ended this year, marking their first appearance in 16 years. He thought the best offensive strategy the Kings should put in place was a “4-on-5” defensive strategy. It would place one player up the floor to cherry-pick on offense. Unsurprisingly, it never caught on.
27. Gayle Benson
Benson inherited the New Orleans Pelicans in 2018. Her late husband, Tom Benson, bought the team in 2012 for $338 million. The Pelicans currently have a value of $1.63 billion. New Orleans franchise valuation is much lower than the NBA average because New Orleans fans aren't interested in the Pelicans. Gayle Benson doesn't care much about the team, putting more into the New Orleans Saints. The Pelicans have a top-heavy payroll as Benson begins to sink some cash into the group. Is this the start of Benson's dive into reinvigorating New Orleans basketball?
26. Joe Tsai
Tsai bought the Brooklyn Nets in 2019 for $2.35 billion. The team currently has a value of $3.5 billion. The Brooklyn Nets were not the only purchase for Tsai, also purchasing their home arena for $1 billion. His first significant investment in the team was Kevin Durant, who wouldn't be able to play for all of his first season. Then he let Durant bring in noted team-killers Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Neither of the players is with the Nets anymore, and it looks like there will be some lean years ahead.
25. Ted Leonsis
Leonsis bought the Washington Wizards in 2010 for $551 million. The team currently has a value of $2.5 billion. The Wizards haven't been as bad as people would have you believe. They have been in the playoffs five times in the last ten seasons and have won three playoff series. Is Leonsis sabotaging the success of the Wizards to save money after the departures of John Wall and Bradley Beal? He has always seemed more interested in his Washington Capitals hockey team.
24. Tilman Fertitta
Fertitta bought the Houston Rockets in 2017 for $2.2 billion. The team currently has a value of $3.3 billion. The Rockets could have had Beyonce as their owner, but Fertitta came in at the last minute and blew them away with his offer. Fertitta has made no impact as an owner, and the Rockets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the past three seasons. A far better storyline could have been Beyonce's impact on the franchise.
23. Dan Devos
Richard Devos purchased the Orlando Magic in 1991 for $85 million. Dan took control in 2011 and now sees the team with a value of $1.85 billion. The Magic have been making terrible basketball decisions since they entered the league in 1989. Dan inherited the team in 2011 and hasn't been able to turn those fortunes around. The team has some young rising talent on the roster and looks to be an up-and-coming team in the future. This could be the first real chance at sustained success in a long time.
22. Tony Ressler
Ressler bought the Atlanta Hawks in 2015 for $730 million. The team currently has a value of $1.975 billion. Ressler's team has made one run to the Eastern Conference finals during his tenure with the team. They thought it could be a sign of future success with Trae Young when they went there in 2021, but the team has struggled in the two seasons since. They are on their third head coach in the last four years, and Young might not be there for long. The mediocrity will continue for Ressler.
21. Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin
Schnall and Plotkin bought the Charlotte Hornets in 2023 at a value of $3 billion. Former owner Michael Jordan bought the team in 2010 for $200 million. The gentlemen hope that they can turn their investment into gold like Jordan was able to do. Unfortunately, the Hornets haven't been able to make the playoffs since 2017 or win a series since 2022. If Jordan could 15x his investment without a series win, what can Schnall and Plotkin do with some success?
20. Mat and Justin Ishbia
The brothers bought the Phoenix Suns in 2023 for $4 billion. The Ishbia's aren't fooling around, trading for Kevin Durant last season and acquiring Bradley Beal in the offseason. Is this a classic case of a new owner trying to make a splash without being financially responsible? That question will need to be answered this year. It'll be unfortunate if the Ishbia's suffer the same fate as Joe Tsai, especially with the same player in Durant.
19. Tom Gores
Gores bought the Detroit Pistons in 2011 for $325 million. The team currently has a value of $1.9 billion. Gores' deal was a bargain in 2011, and he now maintains 100% control. Their value is well behind the NBA average due to their lack of success. They have one winning season in the last 15 and have made the playoffs twice. He has a long way to go to reach his goal of being an NBA champion.
18. Herb Simon
Simon bought the Indiana Pacers in 1983 for $10.5 million. The team currently has a value of $1.8 billion. Simon will never complain about his investment in 1983. Turning a $10.5 million franchise into one valued at almost $2 billion is impressive. The Pacers haven't been a winning team in a while, so a run of success can make Simon's franchise more significant. Indiana loves their basketball, and it shows with the value of this small market team.
17. Robert Pera
Pera bought the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012 for $377 million. The team currently has a value of $1.65 billion. Pera's first two seasons saw the Grizzlies win more playoff games than the previous 17 seasons combined. The team was on the rise and projected to be close to the top of the Western Conference until Ja Morant's issues last season. His star is now in hot water again and suspended for the first 25 games of the season. Pera needs his five-year, $193 million investment to figure it out and return to playing basketball.
16. Josh Harris and David Blitzer
Harris and Blitzer bought the Philadephia 76ers in 2011 for $287 million. The team currently has a value of $3.15 billion. The 76ers are one of the most popular teams in the NBA. They rode “The Process” to try and win an NBA championship, and the acquiring talent part worked. However, those pieces never meshed, and the team hasn't been able to make an NBA finals series. The team looks in trouble right now with the James Harden trade request and Joel Embiid not being happy. If they need to rebuild again without success, Philadelphia fans will be disappointed.
15. Ryan Smith
Smith bought the Utah Jazz in 2021 for $1.66 billion. The team currently has a value of $2.025 billion. Smith is a tech billionaire who has used that background to show he is a forward-thinker. His first move with the Jazz was to hire Danny Ainge, a master technician with trades and roster moves. The team now has plenty of young talent and roster flexibility. Smith is also setting his sights on a franchise in the NHL for Salt Lake City.
14. Jody Allen
Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, bought the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 for $70 million. His wife, Jody, took control of the team after Paul died in 2018. They currently have a value of $2.1 billion. Allen is also the owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders FC. The Blazers and Seahawks are lauded for their ownership coming from another small market. Keeping talent in these markets in the NBA isn't easy, but Allen is doing her best with what she is given. After trading Damian Lillard, the team's latest draft pick, Scoot Henderson, is primed to lead them to more playoff success.
13. Larry Tanenbaum
Tanenbaum bought the Toronto Raptors in 1998 for $467 million. The team currently has a value of $3.1 billion. Larry Tanenbaum has a 25% state in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The company owns the Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC, and the Toronto Argonauts. Tanenbaum has staked claim into the Raptors and helped them to a 2019 NBA Championship with the acquisition of Kawhi Leonard. The Raptors own a complete country, and the team's value represents that. It was probably hard to believe a basketball team could be worth $3 billion in hockey-mad Canada.
12. Dan Gilbert
Gilbert bought the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005 for $375 million. The team currently has a value of $2.05 billion. The Cavaliers came at a premium price in 2005 when they had a young Lebron James. Gilbert knew he was stepping into a gold mine if he could keep Lebron in his home state. However, the two had a falling out in 2010 when Lebron went to the Miami Heat. He was lucky enough that James returned in 2014 and won an NBA championship, staying until 2018. Despite the falling out, Gilbert owes a lot to Lebron.
11. Clay Bennett
Bennett bought the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2006 for $325 million. The team currently has a value of $1.875 billion. He is infamously the man who took the NBA away from Seattle. In the last 15 years, the Thunder have made the playoffs 10 times and produced Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. They now have plenty of young talent and look to continue their success.
10. Ann Walton Kroenke
Stan Kroenke bought the Denver Nuggets in 2000 for $202 million. He transferred the ownership to his wife, Ann, in 2016. The team currently has a value of $1.93 billion. Kroenke is the reigning NBA champion and is on the rise with players like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. The family's investment will continue to grow, and they have experienced plenty of championships lately with the Nuggets, Los Angeles Rams, and Colorado Avalanche. They also own the Arsenal Football Club in the English Premier League.
9. Wes Edens
Edens bought the Milwaukee Bucks in 2014 for $550 million. The team currently has a value of $2.1 billion. Giannis Antetokounmpo is why the Bucks' value has risen substantially in the past five years. He is a two-time MVP and a part of the franchise's first NBA championship. Edens is looking to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to Las Vegas.
8. Mark Cuban
Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks in 2000 for $280 million. The team currently has a value of $3.3 billion. Cuban buying the Mavericks for that much money in 2000 seemed like a crazy thing at the time. Since then, Cuban has won an NBA championship, became one of the most famous owners in sports, and increased the franchise's value to over $3 billion. The purchase doesn't seem so crazy now.
7. Jerry Reinsdorf
Reinsdorf bought the Chicago Bulls in 1985 for $16.2 million. The team currently has a value of $4.09 billion. Reinsdorf has been infamously linked to the Bulls dynasty in the 1990s. Reinsdorf bought in at the perfect time, as the team would draft Michael Jordan and win six NBA championships. Reinsdorf's character has been questioned since “The Last Dance” documentary, but his success as an owner cannot be argued.
6. Peter J. Holt
Peter M. Holt bought the San Antonio Spurs for $76 million in 1993. His son took over the team in 2016. They currently have a value of $2 billion. The Holt Family has been a model of success since buying the franchise in 1993. They have been around for five championships and have had some of the greatest NBA players wear their jerseys. They now take on the privilege of having No.1 overall pick Victor Wenbanyama suit up in San Antonio.
5. Steve Ballmer
Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 for $2 billion. The team currently has a value of $3.9 billion. Ballmer's purchase was a massive overpayment in 2014, but the NBA is thankful he got rid of Donald Sterling with the purchase. The team has been in the shadow of the Los Angeles Lakers, even sharing Crypto.com Arena. Ballmer has built a $2 billion arena named the Intuit Dome and hopes his investments in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will finally lead him to an NBA championship.
4. Wyc Grousbeck
Grousbeck bought the Boston Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. The team currently has a value of $3.92 billion. Grousbeck knew what he was getting into when he bought the Celtics. No matter the level of success, it may never be good enough for the fans of Boston. Since Grousbeck's purchase, the Celtics have played in the NBA finals three times and made the Eastern Conference Finals eight times. He has also won one NBA championship in 2008.
3. Micky Arison
Arison bought the Miami Heat in 1995 for $68 million. The team currently has a value of $3 billion. Arison is a forward thinker when it comes to basketball. He hired Pat Riley in 1995, who has been a pillar of the Heat's success ever since. The team has won three NBA championships in his time and has always been a competitor in the East, even when it isn't expected.
2. Jeanie Buss
Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 for a package deal worth $67.5 million. The package included the Los Angeles Kings, Great Western Forum, and a 13,000-acre California ranch. The team is currently worth $6.44 billion. Believe it or not, the Lakers were losing money and prepared to fold when Jerry Buss bought the team. Jerry is credited with the rise of the Lakers, and the team has won 11 NBA championships since he took over. Jeanie took over the day-to-day operations in 2014 but has been around since the beginning in various roles.
1. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber
Lacob and Guber bought the Golden State Warriors for $450 million in 2010. The team currently has a value of $7 billion. Joe Lacob isn't an owner who puts the ball in the hands of his operations department and doesn't have any input. He was the guy who fired Mark Jackson and hired Steve Kerr. The Warriors won the NBA title that year and three more since. Golden State's place at the top of the NBA franchise valuations marks the first time in 20 years that the Knicks or Lakers aren't at No.1. The Warriors have had a rapid increase in value and moved from Oakland to San Francisco in the 13 years since Lacob and Guber have purchased the team.
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