New Milwaukee Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens purchased the team for $550 million. Less than a year later, they are reportedly now worth $600 million.
Forbes Magazine came out yesterday with the new valuations of NBA franchises. It says the average NBA team is now worth $1.1 billion, up 74% from a year ago. Forbes reported it was the biggest one-year gain since it began valuing teams in the four major U.S. sports leagues back in 1998.
The reason for the jump in values is the new television contracts the league signed. Those new deals with ESPN and Time Warner will start with the 2016-17 season. They are worth $930 million a year, almost three times the value of the current contracts.
Bucks vs. Utah
The Bucks return to the court tonight against the Utah Jazz at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. It’s the start of the second half of the season for the Bucks, who finished the first half with a 21-20 record.
Ersan Ilyasova is expected to return to the starting lineup tonight, after missing roughly half of the teams first 41 games with a broken nose and a concussion.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has made quite an impact in his first 1+ season in the league. The 6’11 swingman has been invited to participate in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Competition during its upcoming All-Star weekend.