Blazers 13th Most Valuable Franchise

The 2021-2022 NBA season is upon us, and as the Portland Trail Blazers and the rest of the league gear up for the first game, various lists are being released. Among them is Forbes list of the most valuable teams in the NBA by Mike Ozanian.

Topping that list, coming in at $5.8 billion is the New York Knicks.

This is the first time three teams in the league have had such a high evaluation.

For the first time, there are three NBA franchises worth more than $5 billion: the New York Knicks (No. 1, $5.8 billion), the Golden State Warriors (No. 2, $5.6 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 3, $5.5 billion). These three teams play in the league’s biggest markets and under normal circumstances generate the most revenue because of their lucrative local television deals and arenas that produce piles of cash from luxury seating and advertising.

The article breaks down some of the sources of revenue for the teams.

NBA owners booked an estimated $1.46 billion in sponsorships last season—a record—with much of the increase in this category coming from jersey patch deals. First introduced during the 2017-18 season and hovering about $150 million in total for the past couple of years, the agreements are expected to bring in well over $225 million across the league’s 30 teams in 2021-22.

Coming in at 13 on the list is the Portland Trail Blazers at $2.05 billion, up 8% from last year with a reported $19 million operating income. Rounding out the list at number 30 is the Memphis Grizzlies valued at $1.5 billion.