Golden State Warriors CEO Joe Lacob presents guard Stephen Curry (30) with the 2024 NBA All-Star ball before the game against the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center.
John Hefti-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers, less than one year after being sold for $10 billion to Marc Walter, have been sold yet again. This time, former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Josh Kushner put together a $12.5 billion joint bid to acquire the Lakers from Walter in exclusive negotiations. With the valuations of franchises across the NBA soaring and after this latest sale, could Joe Lacob and the Golden State Warriors be the next team to hit the market?
There may not be an owner in the NBA who loves what he does more than Lacob, which is why all the rumors surrounding him potentially looking to dump his organization couldn't be further from the truth.
Even the Warriors' owner himself will admit as much, despite having turned his franchise into one of the most profitable in the world.
“No. Honestly, [the Lakers’ sale is] interesting, clearly. And maybe … my limited partners are certainly very happy,” Lacob told The San Francisco Standard's Tim Kawakami when asked if Los Angeles' numbers and sale price make him think about selling. “But it doesn’t really change anything with respect to me. This is my life, I enjoy doing it, and I can’t imagine making a change.”
Lacob and his investor group purchased the Warriors franchise from Chris Cohan for $450 million in 2010, which, at the time, was a record purchase price in the NBA. Since then, obviously with the help of Stephen Curry and four different championship runs, the Warriors have built a business empire and have evolved into a multi-billion dollar organization.
In October 2025, Sportico ranked the Warriors No. 1 in the NBA with a total valuation of $11.33 billion, a 24% one-year value change from 2024 and an insanely sizeable increase from the $450 million originally invested in the franchise when Lacob and friends purchased it in 2010.
Joe Lacob bought the Warriors for $450 million in 2010!
Today, the franchise is worth $11 BILLION 💰
But when Stephen Curry arrived in Golden State one year earlier, the Warriors were valued at just $315 million.
Since then, Curry became the face of the greatest era in… pic.twitter.com/ZcjGxmlLjf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 9, 2026
Out of all sports franchises in the world, Forbes ranked the Warriors No. 2 with an $11 billion valuation in December 2025. That number is only expected to rise so long as Curry remains the face of the franchise.
Although Lacob could easily sell the Warriors and profit that near 2,400% increase on investment from the time of purchase, he holds zero desire to leave.
Unlike many owners, who simply control some business aspects of their organization and aren't involved in basketball operations decisions, Lacob is a very hands-on owner. He has a great working relationship with current general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Lacob was one of the lead voices alongside former executive Bob Myers during Golden State's peak years with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green.
Just as Curry has been the face of the Warriors' success on the court, Lacob has been one of the main brains behind all of this organization's success behind the scenes regarding business ventures, advertising and partnerships, fan engagement, etc. Perhaps the ordinary person would sell the franchise at this stage, especially with Curry's career nearing its end, but Lacob is no ordinary owner.
The drive to constantly win and compete for championships is what drives Lacob's and the Warriors' ambitions everyday, and he is not prepared to leave anytime soon.
Even with the Lakers selling for $12.5 billion, Lacob seems quite content to continue building on his empire, focusing on the end of Curry's career and what Golden State's future looks like for the next decade.