• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 8, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Las Vegas, Seattle NBA Expansion Fees May Soar As Team Values Climb

  • Bill Simmons recently said he thinks the Celtics could sell for $6 billion.
  • The $4 billion sale of the Suns marks the highest purchase price for an NBA team.
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, Bill Simmons said on his podcast that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos may explore a purchase of the Celtics, who were put on the market by owner Wyc Grousbeck and his partners last month.

According to The Information, Bezos “has no plans” to bid on the Celtics. However, lost in Simmons’s report was the price tag that the league hopes the iconic franchise will fetch, whether from the billionaire Bezos or any prospective buyer.

“The league wants $6 billion for the Celtics. Six billion dollars, [and] they don’t own their arena. It’s a crazy price, but they’re probably going to get it,” Simmons said.

Simmons added that the NBA is hoping for the sale price to hit $6 billion so it becomes the new benchmark for expansion fees. Commissioner Adam Silver has made it no secret that the league is moving toward expansion for the first time since 2004, with the prospective markets being Las Vegas and Seattle.

Bloomberg reported last month that expansion fees could be somewhere between $4 billion and $5 billion—and that’s without considering the cost of building a new arena. That fee is in line with the price tags of the three NBA teams sold last year—$3.5 billion for the Mavericks, $3 billion for the Hornets, and a league-record $4 billion for the Suns—but Simmons’s prediction for the Celtics would significantly overshoot those prices.

To the Moon

Regardless of whether Simmons’s prediction comes true, the sale of the Celtics will likely surpass the Suns’ as the largest in NBA history, as long as it comes close to their October 2023 valuation of $4.7 billion, according to Forbes

Franchises often overshoot their valuation when they are sold, such as the Suns who were valued at less than 70% of its eventual sale price. However, the opposite does happen, like when Mark Cuban sold the Mavericks to the Adelson family at a valuation that was around 77% of its estimated value.

Team valuations surged after the current media-rights deal began in 2016, and the prices of the sales over the past few years indicated an expectation that there would be another bump.

Some teams have also become more valuable by building and operating their own arenas. In 2010, Joe Lacob purchased the Warriors for $450 million, which was $100 million less than what Ted Leonsis paid for the Wizards. However, the Leonsis purchase included the team’s arena. The Warriors are now recognized as one of the most valuable teams in all of sports, largely due to their on-court success over the last decade, but also thanks to their decision to move to the Chase Center in 2019.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WNBA

Crypto Group Says It’s Behind WNBA Dildo Epidemic

The group backs a memecoin that launched last week.

More Dildo Throwing During WNBA Games Leads to Second Arrest

The 18-year-old threw a dildo that hit another fan and his young niece.
May 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8), and forward Jayson Tatum (0) and New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.

Celtics Sale Set to Close in Next Two Weeks

The $6.1B deal has taken longer to close than other recent franchise sales.

Featured Today

Inked Under Anesthesia: Athletes Getting $50,000 Tattoos

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty
August 2, 2025

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.

Former Heat Security Guard Indicted in $2M Memorabilia Scheme

He is accused of stealing more than 400 game-worn jerseys and other memorabilia, prosecutors say.
August 5, 2025

Mammoth vs. Mammoth: NHL Team Strikes First in Trademark Feud

The Utah NHL team announced its new name in May.
August 5, 2025

Spurs Are Spending Big Now, but Can They Afford Their Future?

San Antonio traded for Fox in February ahead of the trade deadline.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
August 2, 2025

Bengals Extend Stadium Lease After $350M in Public Funds for Renovation

The Bengals will stay in the 25-year-old stadium through at least 2036.
August 1, 2025

Commanders Seal Stadium Deal As D.C. Approves $1.1B in Funding

The NFL team’s return to its prior home receives key political support.
July 31, 2025

Ferrari Extends F1 Boss Weeks After Red Bull Fire Horner

Fred Vasseur joined Ferrari in 2023.
July 30, 2025

Mayor Calls Commanders RFK Stadium Deal ‘a BFD’ for D.C.’s Future

The NFL team makes a series of additional commitments.