Where to Find Cheap NBA Tickets and the Teams You'll Pay the Least to See

If you're a professional basketball fan and you want to cheer on your sports heroes, here’s the scoop on how to score cheap NBA tickets. Of course, getting access to pro athletic events isn’t so inexpensive that everyone can afford to go weekly, but there are ways to lower the costs. So, where and how can you get cheap NBA tickets?

While you can certainly purchase NBA tickets from Ticketmaster, you may not get them at a cheaper price. These are considered primary market tickets.

Many have begun shying away from Ticketmaster after it came under fire over the skyrocketing Bruce Springsteen concert ticket prices and the Taylor Swift fiasco where the ticket provider had insufficient inventory of tickets to the singer's Eras Tour.

If you're one of those who'd prefer not to shop with Ticketmaster or want to snag cheap tickets for NBA events, keep reading!

Third-party platforms such as SeatGeek and StubHub may be good options for locating the NBA tickets you seek — hopefully at a reasonable price. TicketIQ is another possibility.

It's generally a good idea to shop around a bit to find the cheapest tickets to NBA games. Pay attention to the fees that each platform charges, too. (TicketIQ claims that StubHub’s fees add substantially to your total ticket cost, while TicketIQ offers Fee-Free tickets that also come with a guaranteed refund in case an event is canceled or deemed unfit to proceed.)

The New York Times notes that StubHub is an established company with a good reputation for fixing issues. SeatGeek also helps you choose by offering ratings of a ticket deal's quality (amazing, great, good, or OK deals).

When deciding on a game you'd like to attend, check out the prices on several different selling marketplaces. Pay attention to factors like the fees they charge (StubHub does charge fees, and some customers claim their tickets weren't guaranteed). You can check various sellers' prices and any guarantees or benefits they offer.

According to TicketIQ, the NBA team with the cheapest tickets for the 2022–2023 season is the Indiana Pacers, with an average price tag of $138 per ticket. That figure is based on the secondary market.

Here are the cheapest NBA tickets based on average secondary market prices:

• Sacramento Kings: $173

• Charlotte Hornets: $169

• Utah Jazz: $168

• Orlando Magic: $163

• Washington Wizards: $163

• Houston Rockets: $159

• San Antonio Spurs: $157

• Detroit Pistons: $153

• Oklahoma City Thunder: $148

• Indiana Pacers: $138

Naturally, the tickets will cost more for popular and successful NBA teams. Last year, the most expensive NBA tickets sold for 2022 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors games with an average secondary market price of $611.

The LA Lakers were listed as the second-most expensive NBA tickets last year, at an average of $518 apiece.

Waiting until the last minute to buy tickets isn't advisable for true NBA fans. If you want a guarantee that you’ll get into the game, walking up to the stadium doors isn’t the way to do it.

Part of this is due to the popularity of online ticket brokers. These brokers may drop ticket prices on the day of the game. The reasoning is that getting some money for tickets is better than nothing. But if you wait to buy NBA tickets at the stadium, you run the risk of them selling out or running out of desirable seats.

Buying online in advance enables you to select your seat(s), and it’s easier to ensure an entire group sits together.