With the Buss family selling their majority ownership stake in the Lakers, change is coming to Los Angeles.
Mark Walter will now be the Lakers’ majority owner, and the expectation so far is that Jeanie
Buss will remain as governor.
That’s great news for Jeanie, but there are many other people in positions where their future is uncertain, such as her brothers, Joey and Jesse Buss. Both have been with the Lakers for years. Joey has been the Lakers’ alternate governor and vice president of research and development and Jesse’s the team’s assistant general manager. Their input and insights have been highly valued within the organization for years.
So, will they also remain a part of the Lakers once the sale is finalized?
Dave McMenamin and Shams Charania wrote an article on ESPN regarding the brothers launching a new sports acquisition business. In the piece, they also discussed the Buss brothers remaining with the Lakers, along with Jeanie, as has been previously reported.
Both brothers will remain with the Lakers after the sale is finalized, with their older sister, Jeanie Buss, continuing to serve as the primary team governor for the foreseeable future, sources said.
It’s important to note that these kinds of agreements can always change.
Mark Cuban thought he was going to have the same voice with the Mavericks after he sold his majority ownership stake, but that wasn’t the case. The Celtics have a similar story, as it was initially reported that Wyc Grousbeck would remain governor after the sale of the Boston team was finalized, but that also didn’t come to fruition.
However, with Jeanie still owning over 15% of the team, that’s enough to remain a governor. Given Walter’s reputation as a more hands-off owner with the Dodgers, perhaps this agreement will remain in place with the Lakers.
If the Buss brothers and Jeanie remain, this could be a best of both worlds scenario for the franchise.
They can have some of the people around who have helped cultivate a winning atmosphere in Los Angeles and the team now has an influx of money thanks to Walter’s ownership.
While his money can’t help the roster much due to salary cap restrictions, his finances can positively impact the scouting department, facilities, and other expenditures the Lakers have.
It’s good to hear that Jesse and Joey, who have done a great job of finding NBA talent in the draft and beyond, will remain with the team. The Lakers have excelled in this department over the years, discovering and developing players such as Alex Caruso, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, among others.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
