Forbes: Knicks most valuable NBA franchise for 5th straight year
Although the New York Knicks remain one of the NBA's laughingstocks, the club topped Forbes' list of NBA franchise valuations for the fifth straight year.
The Knicks are worth an estimated $4.6 billion - an increase of $600 million from the year before. Among North American sports franchises, only the Dallas Cowboys ($5.5 billion) are worth more than the Knicks.
The Los Angeles Lakers ($4.4 billion) and Golden State Warriors ($4.3 billion) were the only other NBA teams to crack the $4-billion mark. Rounding out the top five in the Association were the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics.
Overall, the average NBA team is worth $2.12 billion, up 14% in the past year, according to Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen. In 2011, no franchise in the league was valued at $1 billion.
Below is the full list of teams and their respective values:
| Team | Value (Billions) |
|---|---|
| New York Knicks | $4.6 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $4.4 |
| Golden State Warriors | $4.3 |
| Chicago Bulls | $3.2 |
| Boston Celtics | $3.1 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $2.6 |
| Brooklyn Nets | $2.5 |
| Houston Rockets | $2.475 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $2.4 |
| Toronto Raptors | $2.1 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $2.0 |
| Miami Heat | $1.95 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $1.85 |
| San Antonio Spurs | $1.8 |
| Sacramento Kings | $1.775 |
| Washington Wizards | $1.75 |
| Phoenix Suns | $1.625 |
| Denver Nuggets | $1.6 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $1.58 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $1.575 |
| Utah Jazz | $1.55 |
| Indiana Pacers | $1.525 |
| Atlanta Hawks | $1.52 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $1.51 |
| Charlotte Hornets | $1.5 |
| Detroit Pistons | $1.45 |
| Orlando Magic | $1.43 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $1.375 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $1.35 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $1.3 |