Over the past decade, the Golden State Warriors have been arguably the best dynasty in pro sports. From 2015 to 2019, the team reached every NBA Finals, winning three of them. They set a record with 73 regular-season wins during the 2015-16 season. Steph Curry won two MVP awards in 2015 and 2016. Kevin Durant, the 2014 MVP, joined the team for three seasons. Draymond Green won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and reached multiple All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Klay Thompson has been named to multiple All-NBA teams, too.
Then, when it seemed like the dynasty might finally be over, the Warriors again won a title in 2022. They reached the Western Conference Semis this past season before bowing out to the Los Angeles Lakers, but they’ve made it clear: This team still has some gas left in the tank — and they’re one of the most valuable franchises in all of sports.
Perhaps that’s why some investors who own minority shares in the team are looking to sell. And the valuation could reach $7 billion.
This undisclosed group owns a little more than 10% of the team. It does not include Joe Lacob, who led a group that purchased the team in 2010 for $450 million. In 13 years, the value has increased more than 1400% to the estimated value of $7 billion — though potential buyers are pushing back on that number.
Sports investor Arctos has been accruing a growing stake in the team, with its most notable investment coming in late 2021. Arctos purchased 8% of the Warriors at a $5.5 billion valuation and then made another purchase last year.
But NBA rules state a single institutional investor can’t own more than 20% of a team, and all institutional investors can’t collectively own more than 30% of a team. An institutional investor is a company or organization that invests on behalf of another person or group of people.
So, the Warriors sellers may be looking to coax individuals to make a bid. 10% of $7 billion is $700 million — which is still a 55% increase over what Lacob paid for the entire team nearly a decade and a half ago.
Even if the valuation doesn’t quite end up at $7 billion, the sellers can expect a strong return. Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns at a valuation of about $4 billion, and Michael Jordan sold a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for $3 billion.
The Warriors have had more sustained success than either of those teams. Their sale price will almost certainly reflect that strong play.