RealGM Basketball Wiretap

19 October 2025

• Jaden Ivey Out Four Weeks With Surgery On Right Knee

  Jaden Ivey will be reevaluated in four weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Ivey missed a total of 58 games last season between the regular season and playoffs, after fracturing his right fibula on Jan. 1.

  "It was something that was developing over his work, obviously from coming back, but in training camp also," J.B. Bickerstaff said Thursday. "He started to feel something, then we took precautions. The medical team did their assessments and had to make the decision that ultimately led us to where we are today."

  Ivey is eligible for a contract extension with the Pistons, but that has been considered unlikely.

  The Pistons will likely increase the opportunities given to Ausar Thompson to initiate the offense without Ivey, while Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser and Daniss Jenkins will also help fill the void.

  "I know (Ivey), he's a resilient person," Bickerstaff said. "All these setbacks don't deter him from what his ultimate goal is, and that's to be a great basketball player and a great teammate. As difficult as it is for him and all of us to lose him for these first four weeks, I know that he's going to come back better for it."

• 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%

• Pistons Waive Jaden Akins

  The Detroit Pistons have waived guard Jaden Akins. The Pistons had signed Akins to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

  Akins is expected to join the Motor City Cruise for the upcoming G League season.

• Pistons Sign Jaden Akins To Camp Deal

  The Detroit Pistons signed guard Jaden Akins to an Exhibit 10 contract. Akins signed with Detroit on a non-guaranteed camp deal. After the preseason, Akins expected to join the Motor City Cruise for the upcoming G League season.

  Akins went undrafted out of Michigan State at the 2025 NBA Draft. As a senior for the Spartans, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 12.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

• Pistons Waive Feron Hunt

  The Detroit Pistons have waived forward Feron Hunt. Detroit had signed Hunt to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

  Hunt is expected to join the Motor City Cruise for the upcoming G League season.

• Cavaliers Interested In Malik Beasley

  The Cleveland Cavaliers have interest in signing Malik Beasley, reports Shams Charania on NBA Today. Beasley remains a free agent as he continues to be under investigation by the NBA over gambling allegations.

  The Cavaliers are beginning the season without Darius Garland and Max Strus and could use Beasley to boost their rotation.

  Before news of the federal investigation into Beasley, he was in talks with the Detroit Pistons on a three-year, $42 million contract. Last season with the Pistons, Beasley averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 41.6 percent on three-pointers.

• Pistons, Feron Hunt Sign Camp Deal

  The Detroit Pistons signed forward Feron Hunt to a training camp deal. Hunt signed a non-guaranteed deal and expected to join the Motor City Cruise for the G League season.

  The 6-foot-8 forward appeared in 48 games with the Cleveland Charge of the G League last season. Hunt averaged 15.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

  The Pistons roster is now at the offseason maximum of 21 players. Detroit has four players on training camp contracts, with one open standard spot on the 15-man regular season roster.

• Pistons Sign Quincy Olivari

  The Detroit Pistons signed Quincy Olivari, reported Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

  The 24-year-old averaged 17.6 points and 4.7 assists with the South Bay Lakers last year.

  The Pistons currently have 14 out of 15 roster spots filled, and have used all three two-way spots.

• Pistons Sign Charles Bediako, Dawson Garcia, John Ukomadu, Brice Williams; Waive Ukomadu

  The Detroit Pistons signed Charles Bediako, Dawson Garcia, John Ukomadu and Brice Williams to training camp deals, reported Keith Smith of Spotrac.

  Smith added that Ukomadu was waived and will join the Motor City Cruise in the G League.

  All three of the Pistons' two-way spots are currently filled.

  Ukomadu, and likely Bediako, would rejoin the Cruise as returning-rights players.

  Williams and Garcia both went undrafted. Garcia averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds at Minnesota last season. Garcia played with the Pistons during Summer League.

• NBA Investigation Into Malik Beasley Gambling Allegations Near Conclusion

  The NBA is conducting an investigation into gambling allegations against free agent guard Malik Beasley, league sources confirmed to ESPN. The probe centers on improper gambling on NBA games and prop bets during the 2023-24 season when Beasley played for Milwaukee.

  Beasley was previously linked to a federal gambling investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. His attorney Steve Haney confirmed Beasley is cooperating with the NBA investigation.

  The federal probe has already resulted in four guilty pleas related to a gambling scheme involving former NBA player Jontay Porter. Beasley's attorney stated in August that his client was not a target and had not been charged in the federal case.

  The Detroit Pistons pulled a three-year, $42 million contract offer to Beasley after news of the federal investigation broke in June. Other teams have reportedly expressed interest in the wing despite the ongoing investigations.

  Beasley recently posted on Instagram that he would be making his decision soon. Sources indicate the league investigation is in its final stages.

  At least one U.S. sportsbook detected unusual betting patterns on Beasley's statistics beginning in January 2024. The most notable instance occurred before Milwaukee's game against Portland on January 31, 2024.

  Odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds shifted dramatically from +120 to -250 due to heavy betting action on the under. Beasley finished with six rebounds, causing the suspicious bets to lose.

  "Fully cooperating," Haney told ESPN regarding his client's participation in the NBA investigation.