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Lakers Rumors: Walter, Jeanie, Buss Family, Soon-Shiong, More
Sandy Verma | August 21, 2026 9:24 AM CST

Current Lakers owner Mark Walter doesn’t believe his impending sale to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger will be impacted by the latest Buss family drama, a source familiar with Walter’s thinking tells Sam Amick and Dan Woike of The Athletic.

Two other team and league sources Amick and Woike spoke to think that record-breaking transaction, which values the Lakers at $12.5 billion, remains on track to be completed as well.

However, what is very much up in the air is whether Jeanie Buss will remain in her current role as the team’s governor after her five siblings voted to sell the family’s 17.8% stake in the Lakers at the same $12.5 billion valuation using a “tag-along provision.” Jeanie is contesting that sale, but Jim Buss, Johnny Buss, John Buss, Joey Bussand Jesse Buss say they’re united in their desire to sell the family’s minority shares.

According to Amick and Woike, the dispute between Jeanie and her siblings may take a while to be resolved, especially if it goes to court. Both sides appear to be dug in on their respective positions, with the five siblings believing they’re on firm legal ground and Jeanie confident she is too.

Walter’s decision to let Jeanie stay in her role as governor for the next four years is “known to be part of the contractual agreement” from when he originally purchased the team, Amick and Woike write. That provision, a source tells The Athletic, is also considered part of Walter’s sale to Kushner and Iger — essentially, the new ownership group might inherit Jeanie as governor, depending on how the family dispute plays out.

Jeanie is believed to be open to trying to retain a 15% stake — the minimum required to remain governor — per Amick and Woike. But a “peaceful” resolution in which the siblings sell their shares to Jeanie appears unlikely, considering their adversarial relationship and the fact that Jeanie just fired Joey and Jesse from the team’s front office nine months ago.

Here are some more ownership- rumors and notes on the Lakers:

  • Walter’s decision to sell the Lakers came in the wake of an ongoing federal law enforcement investigation into his financial affairs. Law enforcement officials are reportedly looking into $21 billion in undisclosed loans made by insurers Walter owns to companies with ties to him. According to Samuel Agini, Arash Massoudi, Lee Harris, and Antoine Gara of The Financial Times (subscription required), Walter and his business partner Todd Boehly are also discussing selling their minority stakes in Chelsea FC to Clearlake Capital, the current majority stakeholder of the premier league soccer/football team. However, it’s uncertain if a deal will be completed between the two groups, which aren’t on good terms. It’s also reportedly not the first time there have been talks regarding Walter and Boehly selling their shares.
  • Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiongwho a billionaire cancer researcher, surgeon and businessman, is “absolutely not” going to sell his 4% stake in the team to Kushner and Iger or anyone else, his family attorney tells Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Soon-Shiong purchased his shares from Magic Johnson in 2010, McMenamin adds.
  • It’s unclear if Boehly remains a minority shareholder in the Lakers or if his stake was transferred to Walter last year, writes Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times. According to McMenamin and Shaikin, another known minority stakeholder in the Lakers is Edward P. Roskiwho purchased 3% of the franchise in 1998. The real estate developer hasn’t announced whether or not he intends to use the “tag-along provision,” Shaikin notes.


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