RealGM Basketball Wiretap

18 October 2025

• Jazz Waive Mo Bamba, Pedro Bradshaw, Sean East II

  The Utah Jazz have waived center Mo Bamba, forward Pedro Bradshaw, and guard Sean East II.

  Bamba appeared in one preseason game for the Jazz, scoring eight points and grabbing three rebounds against Portland on Oct. 16. Bamba appeared in 32 games last season with the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 4.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 12.9 minutes.

  Bradshaw and East II were signed by the Jazz on Oct. 14.

• NBA Team Valuations Reach $5.51 Billion Average, Up 20 Percent From 2024

  The average NBA team is now worth $5.51 billion, up 20 percent year-over-year and 113 percent since 2022, according to Sportico's calculations. The collective value of all 30 franchises reached $165 billion, driven by a landmark $76 billion media rights agreement and strategic arena investments.

  Rick Welts, newly appointed Dallas Mavericks CEO, called the current moment unprecedented for league growth.

  "Never had a moment like this where you could be as optimistic as I am," Welts said in a video interview. "A lot of people are in this league, from an international perspective, from a media perspective, and I really feel like we have the best ahead of us."

  The Golden State Warriors maintained their five-year reign as the NBA's most valuable franchise at $11.33 billion, second globally only to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys at $12.8 billion. The Los Angeles Lakers jumped to second place at $10 billion after Mark Walter's pending acquisition at 16 times revenue, surpassing the New York Knicks at $9.85 billion. The average value-to-revenue multiple for the NBA is 13.5, ahead of the WNBA at 12.0, the NFL at 10.3 and MLS at 9.4.

  The Warriors' dominance stems from arena ownership, sponsorship revenue nearly double any other team, and their WNBA affiliate, the Golden State Valkyries, valued at $500 million. The Valkyries made history as the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season.

  The new media contract with Amazon, ESPN/ABC and NBC raises each team's annual television revenue from $103 million to $143 million, with seven-percent annual increases through 2036. The "get-in" price for franchise ownership-represented by the Memphis Grizzlies at $4 billion-has jumped 2.5 times since 2022, when it stood at $1.63 billion.

  Recent high-profile sales drove valuations across the board. The Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion in March, while the Lakers' pending deal at $10 billion set a new record for control sales in sports history. The Portland Trail Blazers agreement at $4.25 billion followed in August.

  The NBA is pursuing expansion in Europe in partnership with FIBA, potentially launching 16 teams with a fall 2027 tipoff. The league also plans to develop a Basketball Africa League with 12 teams and dedicated home arenas. Welts emphasized international opportunities as transformational for league economics.

  "The international opportunity is multiple of what the domestic U.S. sports market is," Welts said. "The technology will allow anybody, anywhere in the world to consume any NBA game."

  New arenas are under construction in Oklahoma City ($900 million, opening 2028) and Philadelphia (2030), with the Dallas Mavericks scouting sites following 24 years at the shared American Airlines Center.

  2025 NBA Team Valuations

  Rank	Team	2025 Valuation	1-Year Change
  1	Golden State Warriors	$11.33B	+24%
  2	Los Angeles Lakers	$10B	+24%
  3	New York Knicks	$9.85B	+19%
  4	Los Angeles Clippers	$6.72B	+18%
  5	Boston Celtics	$6.35B	+12%
  6	Brooklyn Nets	$6.22B	+9%
  7	Chicago Bulls	$6.12B	+10%
  8	Miami Heat	$6.03B	+21%
  9	Philadelphia 76ers	$5.61B	+23%
  10	Houston Rockets	$5.53B	+16%
  11	Dallas Mavericks	$5.24B	+17%
  12	Toronto Raptors	$5.22B	+12%
  13	Phoenix Suns	$5.09B	+18%
  14	Atlanta Hawks	$5.02B	+23%
  15	Sacramento Kings	$5B	+22%
  16	Cleveland Cavaliers	$4.86B	+23%
  17	Denver Nuggets	$4.8B	+18%
  18	Washington Wizards	$4.78B	+20%
  19	Indiana Pacers	$4.76B	+27%
  20	Milwaukee Bucks	$4.54B	+16%
  21	San Antonio Spurs	$4.5B	+19%
  22	Oklahoma City Thunder	$4.34B	+22%
  23	Utah Jazz	$4.27B	+16%
  24	Portland Trail Blazers	$4.25B	+18%
  25	Minnesota Timberwolves	$4.24B	+29%
  26	Orlando Magic	$4.21B	+22%
  27	Detroit Pistons	$4.17B	+21%
  28	Charlotte Hornets	$4.13B	+22%
  29	New Orleans Pelicans	$4.02B	+30%
  30	Memphis Grizzlies	$4B	+31%

• Sean East II, Jazz Sign Exhibit 10 Deal

  The Utah Jazz have signed guard Sean East II to an Exhibit 10 deal. East is expected to join the Salt Lake City Stars for the upcoming G League season.

  East split last season between teams in Romania and Canada. The 6-foot-3 averaged 24.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.8 steals in 35 games across all competitions.

• Jazz Waive Max Abmas, Cameron McGriff

  The Utah Jazz have waived guard Max Abmas and forward Cameron McGriff.

  Abmas (6-0, 175, Texas) and McGriff (6-7, 220, Oklahoma State) were signed by the Jazz on Oct. 6.

  Neither player appeared in any preseason games with the Jazz.

• Pedro Bradshaw, Jazz Sign Exhibit 10 Deal

  Pedro Bradshaw and the Utah Jazz have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal.

  Bradshaw appeared in 45 games last season in the G League, averaging 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 23.9 minutes. Bradshaw is also a career 39.8 percent three-point shooter in the G League.

  Bradshaw went undrafted out of Bellarmine in 2021.

• Ace Bailey Dealing With Tendonitis In Both Knees

  Utah Jazz rookie forward Ace Bailey is dealing with tendonitis in both of his knees. Jazz coach Will Hardy said the team was being cautious when they removed Bailey from Monday's preseason game.

  "He's got some tendonitis in both knees. It's nothing that we're overly concerned with," Hardy said of Bailey. "He's not going to be getting imaged or anything like that. It's just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint."

  Utah sees Bailey as a big part of their rebuilding team. The 6-foot-9 rookie forward started in each of the three preseason games he's played. Bailey scored 25 and 20 points before tallying three points before exiting after just 10 minutes on Monday.

• Georges Niang Continuing To Rehab Injured Foot, Will Be Re-Evaluated In 2-3 Weeks

  Georges Niang is progressing through rehab on a stress reaction on his left foot and will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks, the Utah Jazz announced on Sunday.

  Niang suffered the injury during offseason training.

  Niang averaged 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds last season between the Cavs and Hawks.

• Jazz Not Currently Looking To Trade Lauri Markkanen

  The Utah Jazz are not actively looking to trade Lauri Markkanen at this point, sources tell Jake Fischer. The Jazz remain in rebuild mode after they had the fifth overall pick in the 2025 draft and selected Ace Bailey.

  Markkanen and the Jazz signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension in August 2024. Markkanen was ineligible to be traded through the 2024-25 season following the extension, which has now lifted.

  When Markkanen signed his extension with the Jazz, there was reportedly an understanding that the Jazz would have "a timely turn toward competing."

  Markkanen appeared in 47 games with the Jazz last season and averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 31.4 minutes. Markkanen had a PER of 15.6, which was down from his mark of 22.0 when he was an All-Star in 2022-23.

  Zach Lowe previously described Markkanen as "the most interesting trade candidate in the NBA" if he has a bounce back season while the Jazz continue to struggle to win games.

• Jazz Sign Max Abmas, Cameron McGriff; Waive Steven Crowl, Matthew Murrell

  The Utah Jazz announced that they signed Max Abmas and Cameron McGriff on Monday.

  Abmas averaged 13.9 points and 4.8 assists for the Salt Lake City Stars last season.

  McGriff averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Noblesville Bloom.

  The team also announced that they waived Steven Crowl and Matthew Murrell.

  Both players are expected to join the Stars.

• Georges Niang Out At Least Two Weeks With Stress Reaction In Left Foot

  Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang will miss the start of training camp and the preseason. Niang suffered a fourth metatarsal stress reaction in his left foot during offseason work. Niang will be reevaluated in two weeks.

  The Jazz reacquired Niang in a trade with the Boston Celtics this offseason. Niang had been previously traded to Boston from the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-7 forward spent four seasons with the Jazz from 2017 through 2021.

  Utah is looking for Niang to fill a frontcourt role on a young team. He was one of three veteran big men that the Jazz acquired this summer, including Kyle Anderson and Kevin Love.