The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA’s flagship franchises for decades, and this offseason has brought one of the biggest changes in the team’s history off the court.
Barely a year ago, Dodgers owner Mark Walter acquired a controlling interest in the Lakers from the Buss family, a deal that valued the franchise at $10 billion in October 2025 and was considered massive at the time.
Recently, the Lakers reportedly changed hands again, this time at a valuation of $12.5 billion, a jump of $2.5 billion in barely a year. That kind of increase over such a short window has rarely been seen in major sports ownership, and that was already the most expensive franchise sale in American sports history.
The buyers are venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger, and with more details emerging on Monday, the scope of the deal is becoming clearer.
The Buss family is now preparing to fully step away from ownership of the Lakers.
According to Shams Charania, the family has agreed to sell its remaining 17.8% stake to Kushner and Iger. The move required approval from the Buss family trust, which includes Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss.
Four of the six siblings needed to sign off, and with that approval secured, trustees were able to activate the tag-along provision tied to Walter’s original sale to Kushner and Iger. That transaction had already set the franchise’s valuation at $12.5 billion.
Once the sale is finalized, Jeanie Buss will no longer hold enough of the team to remain its governor. NBA rules require a controlling owner to hold at least a 15% stake in the franchise, and her reduced share will fall below that threshold.
