Warriors 3rd on Forbes' Most Valuable NBA Teams List Behind Lakers, Knicks

A few big seasons have seen the Golden State Warriors become one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA, although it's still difficult to compete with the two biggest markets in the country.

According to Forbes, the New York Knicks lead the NBA with a current value of $3.3 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers ($3 billion) and the Warriors ($2.6 billion).  

Here are the top franchises in the league in 2017:

1. New York Knicks ($3.6 billion)

2. Los Angeles Lakers ($3 billion)

3. Golden State Warriors ($2.6 billion)

4. Chicago Bulls ($2.5 billion)

5. Boston Celtics ($2.2 billion)

6. Los Angeles Clippers ($2.0 billion)

7. Brooklyn Nets ($1.8 billion)

8. Houston Rockets ($1.65 billion)

9. Dallas Mavericks ($1.45 billion)

10. Miami Heat ($1.35 billion)

The list goes to show that you don't necessarily need a successful team to make money in the NBA. Neither the Knicks nor the Lakers have had a winning season in the last four years, but each still generated over $330 million in revenue.

Still, the rapid ascension of the Warriors shows there is still value in winning.

Golden State was ninth on this same list in 2014 with a value of $750 million. After winning a championship in 2015, the team has jumped to seventh, then sixth in 2016. In the past year, the team has gained $104 million in revenue and almost doubled its net worth from $1.9 billion to $3.6 billion.

This is not a bad deal for majority owner Joe Lacob, who bought the team for $450 million in 2010.

The New Orleans Pelicans rank last in the league with a value of $750 million.