Ranking The Best And Worst Owners In The NBA Right Now

For any NBA organization to be successful, it must be what can be considered a winning culture within that organization. Of course, the players and coaches are, first and foremost, the lifeblood of any NBA franchise unless you ask Jerry Krause. Then, you have your general managers and front office, who are supposed to make the necessary moves in order to further along the process of working toward an NBA championship which should be any franchise’s goal at the beginning of each season. At the very top is where the owners sit. The ones who make the culture change or advancement possible. 

We have seen time and time again that organizations fail due to the ineptitude of ownership. On the flip side, we have seen organizations succeed at the highest levels due to the standards set in place from ownership down to the maintenance crew. An NBA organization can be seen as a family, and if that family has any dysfunction, it will crumble. If that organization implements a system that players can believe in and rally around, they will come out on top. Every successful NBA franchise has a long history of owners who have put the right people in place to bring their teams to the next level. Today, we will rank the owners of all 30 NBA teams based on these principles and see which teams are headed for the top of the pyramid while others do their best to avoid disaster.

These are the 30 NBA owners in 2022-23 ranked from worst to best.

30. James Dolan – New York Knicks

Knicks fans far and wide would agree that James Dolan is the undisputed worst owner in the NBA. Dolan has owned the Knicks since 1997, and since then, it has been a whirlwind, to say the least. His insecurity has been on full display, from getting fans removed for yelling at him to sell the team to nearly getting his teeth knocked in by Charles Oakley and having him, a Knicks legend, banned from Madison Square Garden. Dolan even had Spike Lee kicked out when he tried to use the same entrance at Madison Square Garden he has used for 30 years.

Since Dolan took over in 1997, the Knicks for the most part have been a laughingstock in the NBA. He has made multiple decisions that set the franchise back such as giving an injured Allan Houston $100 million and making his way through over 11 head coaches. Dolan has made New York a less-than-desirable place for big-name free agents to want to be and defaced the legacy that legends laid before him.

29. Glen Taylor, Marc Lore, And Alex Rodriguez – Minnesota Timberwolves

Glen Taylor purchased the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995. Other than bringing in an NBA legend in Kevin Garnett, fresh out of high school, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been unsuccessful in most ways during Taylor’s tenure as owner. The performances of the Timberwolves are not the only reason Taylor is so low on our list, but also multiple embarrassing business dealings make Taylor one of the worst owners in basketball.

Supposedly, Taylor irked Garnett and fans when he went back on his word and a handshake about including Garnett in a potential ownership group. In 2000, he and general manager Kevin McHale committed one of the biggest missteps in NBA history. They promised Joe Smith a future big-money contract if he took the minimum for a few seasons to work around the salary cap. As a result, Taylor was banned for a year, the team was fined $3.5 million, and they forfeited five future first-round picks. It was the second-biggest punishment handed down to an owner in NBA history. In 2022, Marc Lore and former MLB star Alex Rodriguez joined Minnesota’s ownership group and exercised their next 20% stake in the team this past December. This would give them a total of 40% ownership in the team when the deal goes through.

28. Gayle Benson – New Orleans Pelicans

In 2022-23, the New Orleans Pelicans look to have as good of a team as they have had in franchise history, which isn’t saying much since the departure of Anthony Davis in 2019. It was a disastrous handling of the situation by New Orleans ownership and team which set them on a path to where they are now. Gayle Benson took over the team in 2018 after her husband passed away. After Davis had been shipped out of town, details emerged about how things were run in the Big Easy.

It had been said that the Benson family could care less about the state of the Pelicans because of their devout dedication to their football team, the New Orleans Saints. It had been said that all of Benson’s time and energy was given to the Saints and the Pelicans were left as the neglected black sheep of the family. As recently as 2022, the Pelicans were giving away tickets to their games in various attempts to draw interest from the city. Any owner that fails to do so even with a winning team cannot be too high on this list. 

27. Joe Tsai – Brooklyn Nets

Oh brother, where do I even begin with Joe Tsai? He took over as owner in 2019 and ever since, it has been disaster after disaster for the other New York team. They were able to secure two big free agents in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for the 2019-20 season, but they would not play together until Durant was ready to go in 2021. Once they hit the floor together, the team was good but still needed another piece to bring it all together.

That is when Tsai and general manager Sean Marks decided to bring in James Harden via trade sparking instant championship aspirations. The entire thing would fall apart in 2022 after just 17 games played together and not a single playoff victory with the three of them on the court. Harden would be dealt in 2022 while Durant and Irving would be dealt at this year’s deadline. It can and should be considered the biggest superteam failure in NBA history.

26. Vivek Ranadive – Sacramento Kings

In 2013, Vivek Ranadive purchased the Sacramento Kings and during that time, they failed to make the playoffs even once. While that seems like it will change in 2022-23, to be in charge of a team for a full decade with no playoff appearances is a pretty bad look. The basketball part of things is not the only thing wrong in Sacramento though.

Ranadive dismissed fan-favorite and Kings legend Vlade Divac in exchange for Monte McNair and mishandled the DeMarcus Cousins situation about as poorly as one could have handled it. Ranadive has also been criticized for being far too involved as an owner and not letting the basketball people he has hired do their jobs, almost like Jerry Jones does in the NBA. Who knows? Maybe Ranadive finally took a step back in 2022-23 and that’s why they are finally headed to the NBA playoffs.

25. Tom Gores – Detroit Pistons

In 2011, Tom Gores became just the third owner in Detroit Pistons history. The other two are in the Basketball Hall of Fame, but the tradition of winning has not followed Gores into his role. During his tenure, the Pistons have yet to win a single playoff game and have been through countless regime changes from the head coach all the way up to general manager. 

The Pistons have done a great job recently of bringing in talent from the outside, such as Bojan Bogdanovic, and drafting young stars like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. However, the winning has not yet taken form. Most likely, the Pistons will again be towards the top of the NBA Draft this summer, continuing the tradition of the Gores era in Detroit.

24. Dan Gilbert – Cleveland Cavaliers

This placement of Dan Gilbert is not so much about where the team is now and more about how Gilbert has run the team up to this point. Gilbert’s entire legacy as the owner is tied to LeBron James in one way or another. When James left for Miami in 2010, Gilbert’s behavior that followed was to be expected from a child, not from a billionaire owner of an NBA team.

Gilbert’s run as the owner has resulted in an NBA championship in 2016 but again, James was the main factor as to why that happened. In 2022-23, the Cavaliers are in the best position they have been in since James left in 2018 for the Lakers. They have a young core of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley leading the way as they sit in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings.

23. Clay Bennett – Oklahoma City Thunder

Clay Bennett has a few reasons to be in the bottom 10 owners in the NBA. Any owner that promises to keep a historic franchise in a city like Seattle and then go back on his word and move said team to Oklahoma City will be low on any list I make. Has Bennett done a good job of building a solid foundation with stars like Sha-Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Josh Giddey? Sure.

The thing is, that doesn’t make up for the years of rebuilding and accumulation of an inordinate amount of first-round draft picks. Since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have left Oklahoma City behind, the Thunder have become bottom feeders in the NBA, consistently at the top of the NBA draft, and when they have made the playoffs, a large disappointment. That’s what you get for stealing basketball from Seattle, I guess.

22. Ted Leonsis – Washington Wizards

Ted Leonsis could be much higher on this list had the Wizards been more successful on the court since he took ownership in 2010. The Wizards have gone 469-609 during Leonsis’ tenure as owner and made the playoffs five times in 14 seasons. Leonsis has been able to stick to his word on a few things, however, which land him a bit higher than the other owners.

First, Leonsis promised that his team would never tank. They have not done that and have committed to building, or trying anyway, around franchise cornerstone Bradley Beal. The Wizards have held on to Beal while building an entirely new core around him. The only problem is the results are the same as they have been since 2010. Leonsis is also one of the most fan-centric owners in the NBA, allowing input from fans on things such as roster construction and concession prices. What other billionaire is doing that in 2022-23?

21. Mat Ishbia – Phoenix Suns

The only reason that Mat Ishbia is where he is on this list is that, well, we do not know anything about him yet. Ishbia and his brother Justin have been owners of the Suns for about five minutes and are already an improvement over disgraced owner Robert Sarver. That was their first win as owners of the team. The second came just hours after the deal was finalized.

Ishbia made possibly the biggest splash in NBA trade deadline history when he acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets for a massive haul of players and draft picks. He showed right away that he wasn’t afraid to do what it takes to win by any means necessary which is the message he conveyed to the fans and Phoenix media without saying a single word.

20. Tony Ressler – Atlanta Hawks

The Tony Ressler regime, which includes minority owners such as Grant Hill, took over for Bruce Levenson in 2015 after Levenson was caught sending racially insensitive emails to an employee. From that standpoint, the Hawks had nowhere to go but up and have done so in a way. Hawks ownership has shown they are willing to make the big move via trade or free agency no matter the risk it involves. 

In 2021, the Hawks made a surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals led by Trae Young and a young group of hungry players around him. In 2023, the wheels have fallen off a bit, with Young reportedly unhappy and Nat McMillan out as coach. The Team has all the talent in the world and one of the most likable players in the world as the face of ownership. There is no doubt they will be back and competing in no time.

19. Jeanie Buss – Los Angeles Lakers

Things have been a rollercoaster in Laker Land since Jeanie Buss and the Buss Family Trust took over for Dr. Jerry Buss. Jeanie has been scrutinized for her very public disparaging of the team, defense of players, and poor performance on the court. Other than an NBA championship in 2020, the Lakers have been reeling for the past two and a half seasons. 

Buss has been at the center of things with calls to sell the team from fans and her undying devotion to keeping Rob Pelinka on the payroll. Still, even with the shortcomings and missing the playoffs in 2022, Buss has helped rebuild the Laker brand after Kobe Bryant’s retirement and kept them as one of the most beloved teams in all of sports. The Lakers seem to be on their way back in 2022-23 after overhauling their roster at this year’s trade deadline. Can they make a move and become a threat in the NBA playoffs once again?

18. The DeVos Family – Orlando Magic

The DeVos Family is one of the longest-standing owners in the NBA having owned the Orlando Magic since 1991, just their second year in existence as an expansion franchise. DeVos and the Magic have made 16 playoff appearances in 32 seasons and made two appearances in the NBA Finals, in which they both fell short. 

Dan DeVos, who currently serves as Chairman, and his family have seen the Orlando Magic experience highs and lows as a franchise over the years, but in 2022-23, they have shown more promise than at any point in the last decade. The Magic have a talented young core in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and others who look to be poised to compete over the next decade. With a few more solid pieces, we could be looking at the first championship team in Magic history.

17. Herbert Simon – Indiana Pacers

Other than the Buss family, Herbert Simon is the longest-tenured owner in the NBA and has had control of the Indiana Pacers since 1988. Simon and the team have had an up-and-down history over the last 35 years. They have put competitive teams and nearly won championships on the court, but lack of consistency has been their Achilles’ Heel.

Simon must be doing something right if players love to play for him and coaches love to coach for him. The pacers do have a bright future once they decide to get more help around rising stars Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, as well as veteran Myles Turner. The Pacers have time to grow as a team once again, thanks to the diligent work of the team and ownership group. Are the Pacers on the road back to their most relevant days since Reggie Miller?

16. Jody Allen – Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the Top 10 regular season teams over the last 35 years since Paul Allen, Jody’s brother, took over the team in 1988. When Paul passed away, Jody took over in 2018 and has been trying to get the team back to their winning ways ever since. Of course, things like injuries and poor performance are out of the owner’s control, but Allen does take some blame for their shortcomings.

It speaks volumes to Allen’s ability to run a team to be able to keep a star like Damian Lillard in town forever and not allow him to join the likes of Drexler, Wallace, and Aldridge, who all left the team at some point. Things haven’t worked out for Allen other than Dame, but the emergence of Anfernee Simons as a budding star and the signing of Jerami Grant has the Trail Blazers filled with hope for the future.

15. Tillman Fertitta – Houston Rockets

The reason I have Tillman Fertitta so high on our NBA owners list goes well beyond what he has done over the last three seasons, or lack thereof. When he bought the team for a record $2.2 billion in 2018, Fertitta got right to work building a solid core around superstar James Harden and posting back-to-back 50-win seasons, including 65 wins in 2017-18. He also lured defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik out of retirement to try and improve their championship chances.  

The last few years have been tough for the Rockets and Fertitta. They finished with one of the NBA’s worst records in 2022 and in 2023, nothing has changed. They have found some great young talent within the draft, however with rising young stars such as Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun but winning has not followed just yet.

14. The Utah Jazz Ownership Group – Utah Jazz

I cannot put a singular name to the ownership of the Jazz due to the fact that seven people are listed as the group’s owners. This includes former Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade as well. The Jazz have been extremely active under this new ownership regime including the hiring of Danny Ainge to run the front office and the departure of two money-pit stars, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.

The group has begun the rebuilding process perfectly by acquiring massive returns for Gobert and Mitchell which includes Most Improved Player front-runner Lauri Markkanen and surprising Rookie of the Year candidate Walker Kessler. The Jazz also hosted the 2023 All-Star Game and have rejuvenated their fans with a team that has shocked most of the NBA community with their play in 2022-23.

13. Larry Tanenbaum – Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are one of the newer teams in the NBA, founded in 1998 and have been owned by the maple Leaf Sports And Entertainment Company ever since. They have gone through ups and downs as a franchise when you consider the Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, and then the DeRozan/Lowry days. They had moderate success all through the first 20 years of their franchise, but everything changed when Tanebaum hired Masai Ujiri and made the move for Kawhi Leonard.

Knowing they could lose Kawhi after one season and pulling the trigger anyway was the biggest risk-reward deal ever. Yes, they lost Kawhi after one season, but that one season was the most magical in team history. They went on to win the 2019 NBA championship and set themselves up for success as time goes on. Despite this success, new questions have arisen about the future of the team and its two stars, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. If they can keep their core together, the popularity of basketball in Canada will continue to rise just as it has done ever since the Raptors came to town.

12. Jerry Reinsdorf – Chicago Bulls

Something has to be said about the job Jerry Reinsdorf has done with the Bulls since taking over in 1985. From the drafting of the GOAT Michael Jordan to the dynasty they built in the 1990s, the Bulls went from virtual irrelevance to one of the winningest teams in the NBA under Reinsdorf, who was unapologetically callous about how he got there. I say that with Scottie Pippen’s contract in mind, of course.

Then, there are the times after Jordan left the Bulls in 1998. The Bulls have had some great regular season success in some seasons but always fell short in the playoffs. They have also had some brutally bad seasons in between. The Bulls still seem very middle of the pack to this day, even with such star power on their teams such as DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. If any owner can right the ship eventually, it’ll be Jerry Reinsdorf.

11. Josh Harris – Philadelphia 76ers

Can we all agree that “The Process” was and always will be a massive failure? Ok, now that we got that out of the way, we can get back to why we view Josh Harris as one of the best owners in basketball. First of all, the love for the 76ers has only grown in Philadelphia since Harris has taken over after years and years of disappointment and tanking for higher draft picks.

Through this process, the 76ers have built a nice path in the Eastern Conference to legitimately contend in 2022-23. First, the MVP runner-up of the last two seasons is at the forefront of it all in Joel Embiid. The team handled the Ben Simmons saga perfectly, and it ended with James harden coming to Philly, the best possible package they could have obtained for the troubled former Sixer. The supporting cast they have drafted and signed look outstanding as well, making this one of the more well-balanced Sixers teams in recent memory.

10. Ann Kroenke – Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets may be in a better position now than they ever have been in their team history. The Kroenke family has owned the Nuggets since 2000 but only after her husband Walter died in 2015 did Ann take over as owner. Since that time, the Nuggets have increased their win total in almost every season and have been home to two-time MVP, going on a third, Nikola Jokic.

Ann’s son Josh took over as the team President and handles all day-to-day operations of the team and together, the family has done a tremendous job of putting together a serious championship contender. With Jokic, Denver has become a spot for top free agents to at least consider, which is a big step up from 10-15 years ago as far as the small market goes. It is fair to say that Ann Kroenke has done well after taking ownership of the team and deserves her Top 10 spot.

9. Robert Pera – Memphis Grizzlies

Speaking of small markets, the Memphis Grizzlies have been that way dating back to their days, even in Vancouver north of the border in Canada. The team couldn’t attract stars other than in the NBA Draft and were considered to be the bottom feeders of the NBA for quite some time. Of course, that all changed with the Grit and Grind Grizzlies, and from there, it has been an upward trend for the franchise.

At the center of Memphis’ turnaround was Robert Pera whose first three seasons were some of the most successful in team history. Pera gets bailed out a bit, considering Justin Timberlake and Peyton Manning steal the spotlight as minority owners. Now, the Grizzlies seem to be the NBA’s biggest villains and are embracing their character led by superstar point guard Ja Morant. The Grizzlies are in contention for a top playoff seed in 2022-23, and Pera can be credited with the turnaround of the franchise.

8. Mark Cuban – Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban is one of those owners who completely seems like the perfect players’ owner. He is always on the court shooting around or mingling with his players. During games, he can be seen courtside celebrating and agonizing as if he were the one on the court playing and not the billionaire who owns the team. He is engaged and well aware of what the team needs to be a competitor. 

However, much like his appearances on Shark Tank, we need to see results. Cuban did build a team in 2011 that won the first championship in franchise history and managed to keep Dirk Nowitzki around for 21 years. His decisions as of late and failure to build a true contender around young superstar Luka Doncic have fans pondering if Cuban has lost his touch a bit. Can he turn things around with the acquisition of Kyrie Irving ad forming one of the most dangerous backcourts in the NBA? Only time will tell.

7. Michael Jordan – Charlotte Hornets

Listen, I almost do not believe that Michael Jordan should be this high on the list. The Hornets have been one of the worst teams in the NBA during his tenure, and it is tough to see anything led by the GOAT fail miserably. Not to mention, his players seem to have no discipline, as repeated off-the-court missteps have cost them some great talent.

On the other side of that, Michael Jordan is a true player owner who has respect from everyone who steps into their facility, from the general manager down to the waterboy. Players love playing for him and have repeatedly stated they would do it again if they could after they had long moved on. Besides, if you get out of line in Jordan’s presence, you may get a glimpse of the GOAT doing his thing and beating current-day players on the court at 60 years old.

6. Peter Holt – San Antonio Spurs

Peter Holt took control of the San Antonio Spurs in 1993 and since then, has built one of the great dynasties in NBA history over the last 50 years. After bringing in The Admiral David Robinson, Holt’s plan really began to take shape in the late 90s. The drafting of Tim Duncan and the hiring of Gregg Popovich as head coach set off a chain of events that resulted in five NBA championships over the span of 15 seasons from 1999 thru 2014.

Since that time, losing the core of Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, and eventually, Kawhi Leonard set the franchise back a bit but with Popovich at the helm, there was still a chance things could remain positive in San Antonio. Of course, it hasn’t unfolded that way, as the Spurs are in the midst of one of the worst losing streaks in team history. That seems to be the plan as the NBA’s worst teams race to try and get Victor Wembanyama, the highly-touted prospect, out of France. At least have some pride, though, no?

5. Wyc Grousbeck – Boston Celtics

It can be a lot of pressure to take the reins of such a historic franchise as the Boston Celtics. Wyc Grousbeck has taken and handled that responsibility perfectly since buying the team in 2002. During Grousbeck’s tenure, the Celtics created the Big 3 of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen which resulted in two Finals appearances and one NBA championship in 2008. The success has not stopped there for Grousbeck in Boston. 

They hired one of the game’s greatest young basketball minds, Brad Stevens as head coach and now holds a front office position with the team. They drafted two of the game’s brightest young stars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who led the Celtics to the Finals in 2022 and have them atop the East in 2023. Now, the Celtics are in a prime position to make their way back to the NBA Finals and perhaps capture their 18th NBA championship.

4. Marc Lasry And Wes Edens – Milwaukee Bucks

When Marc Lasry and Wes Edens took control of the Bucks in 2014, they inherited a mess to clean up. The Buckls were bad, really bad, and showed no signs of improvement until a young kid from Greece made his way to the NBA named Giannis Antetokounmpo. Not only has ownership built the perfect team around him, but they have marketed him perfectly as one of the most likable players in the NBA.

As a result, the Bucks won an NBA championship in 2021 and built the new Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, which has become a downtown tourist attraction. In a conversation with Peter Feigin, President of the Milwaukee Bucks, he explained how Lasry and Edens have completely changed the culture in Milwaukee into a winning one centered around success and entertainment. For that, they are easily a Top Five ownership duo in basketball.

3. Mickey Arison – Miami Heat

Basketball is alive and well in South Beach, and a major part of that is the way Micket Arison has run his team over the last 28 years. Since 1995, Arison has built the Heat from a bottom-feeding franchise into one of the most recognized brands in the world. From the securing of Pat Riley managing the ins and outs of the team to Lebron James and Dwayne Wade delivering championships to the city, Mickey Arison has done everything the right way.

Sure, the Heat suffered the same fate as every team that LeBron leaves and struggled to get back to prominence for a few seasons, but things have looked great in Miami lately. In 2022-23, the struggles are evident, but other than that, Arison, Riley, and coach Erik Spoelstra have done a great job of creating a winning culture in Miami. Besides, who doesn’t want to live and play basketball at the beach every day?

2. Steve Ballmer – Los Angeles Clippers

Any time you step in for an insensitive and racist owner like Steve Ballmer did just a few years ago; you’re already on a winning path. Ballmer has made leaps and bounds improvements to the Clippers over the last few years, including revamping their roster with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and building a new arena for the Clippers to call their own.

Ballmer is also one of those owners who cannot hold back excitement in big moments, which is exactly what you should be looking for from someone in charge of a team. Ballmer has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into improving the state of the Clippers and erasing a dark recent history under the former owner. To me, he has done a great job of that so far and is the second-best owner in basketball today.

1. Joe Lacob  – Golden State Warriors

When we talk about a winning culture, there is only one gold standard in the NBA today, and that is the one built in Golden State. Over the last eight seasons, the Warriors have brought home four NBA championships and built one of the greatest franchises in all of sports, let alone basketball. The Warriors are now a global brand centered around the success of Stephen Curry as the greatest shooter ever and the team led by Steve Kerr.

If anyone needs to take a look at how to run a team, look no further than Golden State. They drafted correctly for the most part in the Lacob era and have put together some of the greatest rosters in NBA history. Lacob has brought the success of the Warriors to levels it had never reached before, and it all happened in 13 years under this regime. I have no doubt that once the Curry/Klay/Draymond era is over, Lacob will be able to rebuild the team perfectly given their track record. 

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.

Next

10 NBA Players With The Most Trophies And Awards Of All Time

NBA All-Time Leaders For Every Major Stat Category

The Only Way To Fix The NBA All-Star Game: Team USA vs. Team World

10 Youngest NBA Players To Win An NBA Championship

NBA Players With The Most Championships: Bill Russell Is The Real Lord Of The Rings