Lakers End 2024 As Third-Most Valuable NBA Franchise Behind Warriors & Knicks
01/02/2025 09:00 AM
Despite the past few years being rough, the Los Angeles Lakers remain one of the most popular teams in the NBA during the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers are currently in the mix for the postseason, though the Western Conference is stacked and several teams can make a case to be considered a title contender. Los Angeles faces stiff competition to advance deep into the playoffs, though it seems the front office believes in the team after swinging a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
While LeBron James believes the Lakers are still a ways away from being a title contender, there’s no denying that the roster is talented and just needs a couple of more tweaks to be really dangerous. Should the front office be able to figure out another more or two in the trade market, L.A. would be considered a much bigger threat to the rest of the league.
Meanwhile, off the court the Lakers still rank as one of the most-valuable franchises in the NBA at the end of 2024, via Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico:
@Sportico's latest @NBA valuations are out
#1 @Warriors — $9.14B
#2 @Knicks — $8.3B
#3 @Lakers — $8.07B
Average — $4.6B
#29 @PelicansNBA $3.09B
#30 @memgrizz — $3.06 pic.twitter.com/B869oa4Dua— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) December 18, 2024
It’s no surprise to see the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and the Lakers as the top three teams in terms of value given their markets and fan bases. Golden State’s recent success with Stephen Curry and the rest of their core shot up their team’s valuation, while New York’s recent stretch and current roster make them a worthwhile second place.
Rounding out the top five are the Brooklyn Nets and L.A. Clippers, who benefit from their respective locations, as well. While neither franchise owns an NBA title, it goes to show how valuable a team can be based on their market.
According to Sportico’s data, the average NBA franchise is worth about $4.6 billion meaning that the Lakers are worth just below double that amount. The Buss family has already indicated there are no plans for them to sell their stake in the team, though if they ever did they would be in line for quite the payout.
Dorian Finney-Smith’s excited to play meaningful basketball with Lakers
Finney-Smith was a popular trade target around the league because of his versatility, outside shooting and team-friendly contract. With the Nets, Finney-Smith was a holdover veteran, but after getting traded he said he was excited to go back to playing meaningful basketball for the Lakers.
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