• Loading stock data...
Thursday, August 28, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners

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

Breanna Stewart

Breanna Stewart’s Injury Meant Rare Presence at WNBA CBA Talks

Stewart “makes the league sit up straight,” the union director told FOS.
May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.

Mark Cuban on Why NBA Expansion Isn’t Imminent

Cuban said the next CBA could help solve some expansion issues.
Dawn Staley

Dawn Staley Says She Would Have Left South Carolina for Knicks

Staley says she would have made the NBA leap “for women.”

Rhyne Howard Calls Out Dream Fans for A’Ja Wilson ‘MVP’ Chants

The Las Vegas Aces overtook the Atlanta Dream in the standings.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.

Connor McDavid: ‘All Options on Table’ As Historic Free Agency Looms

The Oilers superstar remains largely mum on his long-term plans.
Monica Wright
August 26, 2025

WNBA Expansion Teams Still in Dark As CBA Fight Drags On

Portland and Toronto won’t know the draft rules until a CBA is signed.
United
August 28, 2025

Manchester United Knocked Out of Cup by Team With $2.6 Million Payroll

United’s team payroll is almost 100 times larger than Grimsby’s.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 25, 2025

Trey Hendrickson Ends Stalemate for $14 Million Bengals Raise

The defensive end will make $30 million this season.
August 22, 2025

$2B A’s Vegas Stadium Hits Milestones, on Track for 2028

Construction progress and costs pick up in the Las Vegas project.
August 21, 2025

Amid Dream Season, Valkyries Face Potential Playoff Arena Conflict

The Valkyries are seventh in the WNBA standings.
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore
August 21, 2025

Timberwolves Lay Off Dozens After A-Rod, Lore Take Over

Rodriguez and Lore took over the Wolves and Lynx in June.