The most expensive sales in NBA history: the Lakers take the market to another dimension

The NBA business seems to be experiencing its peak moment of glory. The most evident proof lies in what has happened with Los Angeles Lakers, a franchise that has been sold twice in just a year and, in that short period, has set two historic records. Firstly, Mark Walter acquired the Lakers for $10 billion in 2025, a figure that already shattered any previous deal in American sports. Now, in 2026, the franchise changes hands again for $12.5 billion, led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.

The second sale of the Lakers not only represents a financial frenzy but also completely shifts the economic benchmark in the NBA. In just twelve months, the value of the Los Angeles franchise would have surged by $2.5 billion, a 25% increase from the previous transaction. What is most remarkable is that the initial sale had already made the Lakers the most expensive American sports team in history. Now, the $12.5 billion sets a new frontier that seemed almost unimaginable a few years ago.

This move has outpaced the Boston Celtics, who reached $6.1 billion in their 2025 sale. In other words, the Lakers are now worth more than double the current NBA champions based on these deals. The difference from the rest of the league is even more striking: the Portland Trail Blazers, ranking third in this list, were sold for $4.25 billion. The gap between the first and third spots amounts to a staggering $8.25 billion.

The increasing value of franchises is evident when comparing recent transactions with prices paid decades ago. For instance, the Lakers were bought by Jerry Buss in 1979 for a mere $67.5 million. The leap to the current $12.5 billion is challenging to fathom. A similar evolution is seen with Portland, rising from the $70 million paid by Paul Allen in 1988 to the $4.25 billion by Tom Dundon in 2026. The sports business has radically transformed due to the growth in TV rights, commercial revenues, franchise valuations, and the NBA's international expansion.

The Phoenix Suns, sold for $4 billion to Mat Ishbia in 2022, and the Dallas Mavericks, acquired by Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont for $3.5 billion in 2023, complete the following positions on a list that showcases how much the market has skyrocketed. The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers also crossed the $2 billion mark in their respective transactions. This trend is particularly striking as many of these figures were considered exceptional not long ago and now seem small compared to the new standard set by the Lakers.

And therein lies the big question: How far can the value of an NBA franchise go? The dual sale of the Los Angeles Lakers in a single year has shifted the comparison scale and may lead to future deals being negotiated for even higher amounts. If a franchise can jump from $10 billion to $12.5 billion in just twelve months, the $6.1 billion for the Celtics already seems like a relic of another era. From a business perspective, the NBA appears to have entered a new dimension.

The Most Expensive Sales in NBA History

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Las ventas más caras de la historia de la NBA: los Lakers llevan el mercado a otra dimensión