Nuggets value grows, worth about $2 billion but still bottom third of league
Oct 28, 2022, 2:24 PM
The Denver Nuggets likely won’t be for sale anytime soon, under stable ownership by the Kroenke family for nearly a quarter century, with their plans extending far into the future.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t ask the question: what if the Nuggets went up for sale? How much would I have to pay to buy Denver’s NBA team?
Forbes has the answer for you, releasing their NBA franchise for 2022 this week.
The Nuggets are now worth $1.93 billion, up 12% from last year, with an estimated $67 million of operating revenue. That ranks No. 22 across the league’s 30 teams.
Forbes writes:
For the first time in more than two decades, when Forbes began valuing National Basketball Association teams, a team other than the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers is the league’s most valuable. This year, the Golden State Warriors take the top spot, worth $7 billion, 25% more than last year.
During the 2021-22 season, the Warriors generated the most revenue ($765 million after paying their revenue-sharing check) and the most operating income ($206 million) in NBA history as they won their fourth title in eight years and played their first full season with fans in the new Chase Center.
The Warriors made league financial history by raking in $150 million from arena sponsorships and advertising, double any other team, and by pulling in more than $250 million from premium seating, by far the most in the league.
Forbes reports that the average NBA team is 15% more valued than last year, worth $2.86 billion, which contrasts to a $15 drop in the stock market over the same time. The financial reporting outlet says the NBA is back on a pre-Covid growth trajectory thanks to sponsorship and advertising revenue. Forbes also estimates that teams are back to raking in the cash after spending some time in the red during the pandemic.
The next big driver of league revenue will come in the 2025-26 season when the NBA’s next national media deal will come in. There’s also NBA Equity, the league’s venture capital arm, which Forbes predicts will be a valued asset in the future.
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