Eight months ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers were one of the worst teams in the NBA and getting ready to play out the string at the All-Star break. Cavs’ tickets were among the NBA’s least expensive with the median price for the second half of the season just $25—only the New Orleans Pelicans were cheaper. Fast-forward to today and the Cavs are the hottest ticket in the NBA with a median price of $216 on the secondary market, 31% ahead of the second-ranked Los Angeles Lakers, according to ticket reseller Vivid Seats. The average price is a staggering $386. The NBA is a star driven league and there is no sports star on the planet right now bigger than LeBron James.
James’ decision to return to the Cavaliers in July completely transformed the franchise that was still reeling from his departure in 2010. Three-time All-Star Kevin Love followed James to Cleveland and along with point guard Kyrie Irving, they form the latest Big Three. The team is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship, despite the fact that Love and Irving have never appeared in the playoffs. LeBron has that kind of effect. Ticket demand is so heavy that the Cavaliers set up a monthly lottery for single-game tickets this season at
The Lakers stumbled to their worst season in franchise history last year with a record of 27-55, but it will still cost you a fortune to catch a game at the Staples Center on the secondary market. The purple and gold have a median price of $165 despite zero hope of contending for an NBA title. The equally challenged New York Knicks rank close behind at $157. The NBA’s bargain basement teams include the Memphis Grizzlies ($61), Detroit Pistons ($59) and Pelicans ($55).
While rivalries often fuel robust ticket action in the NFL and MLB, NBA fans bid up prices the most to see games when stars come to town. Check out the opponents who have the biggest impact on home teams’ prices, according to Vivid Seats. The Cavs and LeBron top this list as well, driving up prices 139% when King James is visiting. The Lakers finished second to last in the Western Conference last year, but still feature one of the game’s biggest stars in Kobe Bryant. Lakers’ games will cost you 60% more than your typical home game, as Bryant returns from a knee injury that cost him all by six games last season (he missed the first 19 games rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon). Watching MVPs Derrick Rose and now-sidelined Kevin Durant will cost you 37% (Chicago Bulls) and 44% (Oklahoma City Thunder) more to see. The NBA champion San Antonio Spurs rank seventh with prices 19% higher.
NBA ticket prices on the secondary market can plummet, particularly for bad teams who are playing someone less than inspiring with the season ticket base. The biggest discounts take place when the Milwaukee Bucks (-23%), Utah Jazz (-24%) and Orlando Magic (-25%) visit NBA arenas. The best bargain might be the Phoenix Suns whose tickets are priced 18% below the median when they are the visiting team. The Suns shocked NBA experts last year by challenging for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Western Conference, while playing a wildly exciting brand of offensive basketball.
