October 25, 2016
Surprise, surprise: the Golden State Warriors are giving fans the best bang for their buck this season.
Newly equipped with superstar Kevin Durant, the reigning Western Conference champions enter the 2016-17 NBA season as a heavy favorite to make a third straight appearance in the NBA Finals. And while the Warriors will be the most expensive ticket in the league this season, that price is justified in the fact that they lead the way on the TicketIQ NBA Value Index.
Our Value Index is simple: by multiplying each team's average resale price at home by their NBA championship odds (provided by VegasInsider.com) and diving that number by 1,000 we can give each team a relative number. The lower the number, the better the value, and the Warriors give fans the best value at the beginning of the 2016-17 season with a .27 value index.
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The defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers follow closely behind the Warriors in terms of value this season. On TicketIQ the average resale price for Cavaliers tickets at Quicken Loans Arena is $136.49. Factor that into their 13/4 odds at repeating this season and they own the second best value in the league this season with an index of .44.
Rounding out the top five best-valued teams this season are the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder. The impact of Tim Duncan's retirement has appeared to be minor in terms of secondary market ticket demand, as Spurs tickets on TicketIQ are up 37 percent on average from last season's $171.44 average. The Celtics are also ascending on the resale market with their core of young talent and offer the fourth best value in the NBA. The Durant-less Thunder serve as the fifth best-valued team on the secondary market this season.
On the opposing end of the spectrum, the Brooklyn Nets give their fans the worst value during the 2016-17 season. Brooklyn Nets tickets at Barclays Center are averaging $186.74, eighth most expensive in the league, and the team's 1250/1 odds of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy give them an index rating of 233.43. Other worst-valued teams this year include the Los Angeles Lakers (138.66), Phoenix Suns (138.66) and Denver Nuggets (103.95).
For the best deals on tickets during the 2016-17 NBA season, make sure to download the TicketIQ app. Our app is the only engagement-based loyalty program in the marketplace, compiling tickets and data from over 90 percent of the market in one, easy-to-use interface. Download the TicketIQ app and start saving today!
