NBA

Who are the NBA's most valuable franchises in 2019 according to Forbes?

and others

• 2 min read

The annual NBA franchise value list was released by Forbes on Wednesday, and the New York Knicks top the list.

The Knicks are valued at $4 billion dollars (USD) according to the magazine. The Los Angeles Lakers come in at second with a value of $3.7 billion dollars.

The Golden State Warriors ($3.5 billion), Chicago Bulls ($2.9 billion) and Boston Celtics ($2.8 billion) round out the top five.

NBA Valuations 2019
Team	Net Worth (USD)
New York Knicks	$4 Billion
Los Angeles Lakers	$3.7 Billion
Golden State Warriors	$3.5 Billion
Chicago Bulls	$2.9 Billion
Boston Celtics	$2.8 Billion
Brooklyn Nets	$2.3 Billion
Houston Rockets	$2.2 Billion
Los Angeles Clippers	$2.15 Billion
Dallas Mavericks	$1.9 Billion
Miami Heat	$1.7 Billion

The Knicks and Lakers are also in the top five for most valuable franchises in North America.

Most Valuable North American Franchises:

1. Cowboys, $5 Billion
2. Yankees, $4 Billion
3. Knicks, $4 Billion
4. Patriots, $3.8 Billion
5. Lakers, $3.7 Billion

(Source: Forbes)
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 6, 2019

Madison Square Garden's renovations that began in 2013 were a huge part of the Knicks' value topping the list according to Forbes. New York jumped up in value by 11 percent from last year's report.

The Lakers saw a 12 percent jump in their value, likely due to the star power of LeBron James and him signing a four-year contract to remain with the team.

The Toronto Raptors have seen their franchise value shoot up by 222% over the last five years. That's in the top five in that category. Over that span, the Raps have been one of the Eastern Conference powers winning over 50 games three times and appearing in the Conference Finals once.