Kushner, Iger Buy Lakers for Record $12.5 Billion

The context

The Buss family ran the Lakers through 11 championships, operating what CBS Sports described as a comparatively lean, family-style front office that spent heavily on players and coaches but less on back-office infrastructure. Walter's purchase in June 2025 was expected to remake the team in the image of his Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of three World Series titles since 2020, with deeper investment in scouting, analytics, and health and performance.

That overhaul had already begun. Dodgers executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi were consulted, most of the scouting staff was fired, and Rohan Ramadas was hired as an assistant general manager focused on strategy and the salary cap, per CBS Sports. Former Dodgers executive Lon Rosen became president of business operations less than six months ago. Rob Pelinka remained atop basketball operations. The team was also expected to hire a second assistant GM to lead its drafting efforts before the sale news broke.

Why it matters

A $12.5 billion valuation resets the ceiling for what US sports franchises are worth, with implications for every future team sale and for how ownership groups finance acquisitions -- what Fast Company framed as a potential reshaping of pro-sports ownership economics. For the Lakers, a second ownership change in 14 months injects fresh uncertainty into an organization that had already rebuilt its roster and front office once under Walter. Executives hired during his brief tenure now answer to new owners whose plans have not been detailed in the reporting.

What’s next

The biggest open questions, per CBS Sports, involve the franchise's direction under Kushner and Iger and how the sale connects to a potential Las Vegas NBA expansion team. Whether the new owners retain the front-office structure Walter built, including Pelinka and recent hires like Ramadas and Rosen, remains to be seen. The reporting does not specify a closing timeline or whether NBA approval steps have been scheduled.