Los Angeles Lakers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Walter, Buss Family, Sale, NBA Reaction

June 19th, 2025 at 10:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Lakers were at the center of the NBA conversation once again this week — during an exciting ongoing Finals series — when it was revealed that the Buss family was selling its approximate 66% majority stake in the franchise to minority owner Mark Walter. Los Angeles was valued at $10 billion in the sale.

Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times opines that Walter, who owns stakes in multiple other teams including the Dodgers, will give Los Angeles a more expansive trajectory moving forward — unencumbered by the financial constrictions or occasional cronyism that may have impeded the Lakers’ title pursuits of years past.

Plaschke predicts that, as was the case with MLB’s Dodgers, Walter will help modernize and build out L.A.’s infrastructure behind the scenes.

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports observes that, much in the same way the Lakers’ purchase in 1979 by late family patriarch Dr. Jerry Buss led to a massive sea change for the league at large, the Buss family’s departure from team control signals the end of another era.

There’s more out of Crypto.com Arena:

Current Lakers governor Jeanie Buss was the guiding force to galvanize this record-smashing sale, ESPN insider Shams Charania said on the network’s “The Pat McAfee Show” (Twitter video link). Charania added that the Buss family trust, split between the six children of the departed Dr. Buss, will still hold a significant stake in the team for at least a while. “The Buss family will have just over 15% of the minority share for a period of time,” Charania said. “Jeanie Buss will stay on as the governor for a period of time after this sale… My understanding is that Jeanie Buss really drove this sale of the Lakers.”
Unlike when a similar situation played out with former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban, Jeanie Buss’ short-term continued role as Lakers governor has been defined in a written agreement, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne told ESPN Radio Los Angeles’ Clinton Yates (Twitter video link, h/t to RealGM for the transcription). “It’s in writing,” Shelburne said. “Mark Cuban did not get his role in writing. Jeanie Buss’ is in writing. That’s part of the deal. She’s staying on for the foreseeable future to run the team. There’s going to be a great continuity in this transfer of ownership.” Cuban said ahead of the Mavericks’ sale that he’d remain in his governor role, but that didn’t end up happening.
The league at large has weighed on the Lakers’ blockbuster sale, according to Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “This is a good move,” an NBA source told ESPN. “The Lakers can finally be run like a real business.” As Bontemps and McMenamin note, the franchise was revenue-dependent under the Buss family. Now, it’s just another investment for the far wealthier Walter. “Most of these owners now, this is a part of their portfolio,” an executive said. “It’s not the only thing in their portfolio.”

Lakers Sale Notes: Walter, Buss, LeBron, Doncic

June 19th, 2025 at 9:04am CST by Arthur Hill

The sale of the Lakers to Los Angeles sports mogul Mark Walter should signal a change in the way the franchise operates, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The record-setting deal, which includes an approximate $10 billion valuation for the franchise, will end more than four decades of control for the Buss family.

Despite their position as one of the NBA’s glamour teams, Vorkunov points out that the Lakers haven’t always been run that way. He states that many of the owners who’ve entered the league in the past few years are more aggressive about investing in high-priced front office and coaching hires and that L.A.’s basketball operations department isn’t as large or free spending as some of the small-market teams.

Vorkunov expects Walter to adopt a different approach based on his stewardship of the Dodgers, who have used an enormous payroll to become an MLB powerhouse. They’re projected to spend $476MM this season in payroll and luxury tax, and they invest heavily to bring in top-notch talent throughout the organization.

“A key difference between baseball and basketball is that you can’t simply outspend everyone on payroll the way the Dodgers do,” an NBA executive told Vorkunov. “But what most people overlook is how much the Dodgers invest beyond just players. They spend at an elite level on infrastructure: front office talent, analytics and player development. Each area is essentially run by a GM-level executive, enabling them to retain top-tier personnel across the board.”

There’s more on the sale of the Lakers:

The purchase agreement ensures that Jeanie Buss will retain her role as governor and will keep running the team for “at least a number of years,” sources tell Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Twitter link). Her sources add that Walter gave his full endorsement to the arrangement, noting that he and Buss have built a strong relationship, especially since he became a minority owner in 2021. Shelburne adds that it’s a different situation that Mark Cuban faced in Dallas, where he didn’t get to keep the operational control he expected after his sale of the team was finalized (Twitter link).
The Buss family intends to hang onto a minority stake in the franchise worth just over 15%, per Shams Charania of ESPN. NBA bylaws require a stake of at least 15% in order for Jeanie to continue serving as governor, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line note (Substack link).
LeBron James is “comfortable” with the impending sale, Vorkunov and other Athletic reporters add in a separate story. Luka Doncic, who is eligible for a $229MM extension, shared his excitement about the deal on social media. “The Lakers are an amazing organization,” he tweeted. “I’m looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future. I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I’m happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them to win championships!”
Mark Medina of RG notes that Buss talked 10 years ago about having the family control the team “forever.” He looks at what has happened over the past decade to make them change their minds.

Draft Notes: Robinson, Flagg, Bailey, Dixon

June 18th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former senior Kentucky forward Jaxson Robinson, who spent the first part of the pre-draft process rehabilitating a right wrist injury that required surgery, has several workouts on his plate this week, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

According to Rankin, Robinson has already worked out for the has workouts on tap with the Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics and Suns after having already auditioned for the Warriors and Kings.

“Try to knock them all out before the draft,” Robinson said of his workout schedule. “It’s been tough since I’ve been injured, but just getting these last workouts in, trying to get my face in front of people so they can see me again.”

There’s more out ahead of the 2025 draft:

Five-year Villanova star Eric Dixon will have a pre-draft workout with the Suns, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Phoenix holds the Nos. 29 and 52 picks in this year’s draft. An All-American Third Teamer in 2024/25 and Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, Dixon reflected on how he thrived with the Wildcats. “It’s the kind of people that Villanova helps mold,” he said. “Villanova recruits a certain type of guy. They also can mold and make you a certain type of person.”
One-and-done Duke forward Cooper Flagg, a lock to be the No. 1 pick in this month’s draft, touched down in Dallas earlier this week and is conducting a 48-hour visit with the Mavericks, who own that No. 1 selection, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link). Given that Flagg is the anticipated top pick, he has no plans to meet with any other team before next week’s draft.
Former Rutgers standout Airious “Ace” Bailey has emerged as the most confounding of this year’s anticipated lottery players, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Bailey has yet to have workouts with any NBA club so far, in a surprising move, although he is set to show off his skills for the Sixers this week. Philadelphia possesses the No. 3 selection.

Jazz Notes: Sexton, Kessler, Collins, Higgins, Maluach

June 18th, 2025 at 6:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Currently armed with four picks in this year’s draft (Nos. 5, 21, 43, and 53), the Jazz appear to be exploring the possibility of being active on the trade market before or during next week’s event. On Thursday’s installment of the Locked On Jazz podcast, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune unpacks a few trade scenarios that Utah’s brass has at least discussed.

Larsen suggests that the Jazz have had preliminary conversations with the Lakers about the idea of a Walker Kessler or John Collins trade, the Mavericks about a potential Collin Sexton deal, and the Sixers regarding a possible trade up for the No. 3 pick, among other potential discussions.

A deal for that Philadelphia pick could come at a steep price.

“I do think it’s true that the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in trading down to No. 5 potentially if they can get off the Paul George deal,” Larsen said. “That may not make sense given how long that contract is and how I think Paul George was [last year]. I don’t think the Jazz are going to take that offer, but do think that’s an offer that’s been presented.”

While the Jazz have had real discussions about each of those scenarios, Larsen clarifies (via Twitter) that they haven’t “gotten into the serious stages” and he’s not sure how many of those negotiations are ongoing.

There’s more out of Utah:

The Jazz’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, have officially announced (Twitter link) that Rick Higgins will serve as the club’s sixth head coach. Higgins had most recently been a Jazz assistant coach under Will Hardy for the past two years. “I’m looking forward to taking on this opportunity to lead the Stars and continuing within the Jazz organization,” Higgins stated in a team press release. “The Stars play a critical role in the development structure of the Jazz and I plan to continue to build on the team’s successes, preparing players for the next level.”
Back in the lottery for a third straight season and under the stewardship of new team president Austin Ainge, the Jazz face several big decisions this offseason, as Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron details in his preview of Utah’s summer (Substack link). The Jazz are currently $23MM below the league’s luxury tax. Gozlan observes that Utah could try to package together its two first-round draft picks this year, or could look to offload some of the surplus of future picks they possess through 2032. Gozlan notes that the Jazz could also consider the idea of trading star forward Lauri Markkanen, despite a 2024 contract extension.
Ahead of this year’s draft, the Jazz recently worked out one-and-done Duke center Khaman Maluach, sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic (via Twitter). Kessler, of course, is the club’s incumbent starter at the position, but Maluach boasts intriguing upside. The 7’2″ big man is one of the best-regarded prospects this year and considered a probable top-10 selection. Across 39 healthy games for the Blue Devils in 2024/25, the 18-year-old averaged 8.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.3 BPG.

Buss Family To Sell Lakers To Mark Walter For Record-Setting Price

June 18th, 2025 at 4:11pm CST by Rory Maher

4:11 pm: Walter has agreed to buy the Lakers at a valuation of approximately $10 billion, the largest sum ever for a professional sports team, Charania reports (via Twitter).

3:52 pm: The Buss family has reached an agreement to sell its majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Walter, 65, is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a global investment firm, and co-CEO and chairman of TWG Global, a diversified holding company.

Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) and Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA), among sports investments, is currently a minority owner of the Lakers, having purchased a 27% stake in 2021 alongside Todd Boehly.

According to Charania, current governor Jeanie Buss will continue to serve in that role after the sale is finalized.

As Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets, Walter earned the right of first refusal to purchase majority control of the Lakers in 2021 when he bought his minority stake. The Buss family owns about 66% of the team, per Shelburne.

Longtime owner Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers for $67.5MM back in 1979, according to Charania, who notes (via Twitter) that his children inherited majority control when Buss passed away in 2013.

ESPN’s Tim Bontemps believes the Lakers’ sale price will exceed the Celtics’ record-breaking valuation of $6.1 billion (Twitter link). Boston’s new ownership group is expected to be approved sometime in June or July.

LeBron James Discusses Knee, Plans To Play 23rd Season

June 17th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James intends to continue his NBA career in 2025/26, which will make him the first player in league history to play a 23rd season, writes Jonathan Landrum Jr. of The Associated Press. For now, the Lakers star’s focus is on making sure his left knee gets healthy after he sustained an MCL sprain in the playoffs.

“I have a lot of time to take care of my injury, my knee, the rest of my body and make sure I’m as close to 100% as possible when training camp begins in late September,” James said.

While James, who expressed uncertainty in the wake of the Lakers’ postseason elimination about his future plans, confirmed he has no plans to call it a career this offseason, he didn’t specifically address his contract situation. The veteran forward holds a $52.6MM player option for next season and is considered likely to either pick up that option or negotiate a new deal to remain with the Lakers.

LeBron, who will turn 41 this December, also isn’t prepared to offer a timeline for when he might call it a career, though he acknowledged that he can’t help but think about how much time he might have left in the NBA.

“At this point of my career, you think about when the end is. That’s human nature,” he told Landrum. “You think: Is it this year? Or next year? Those thoughts always creep into your mind at this point of the journey. But I have not given it a specific timetable, date. I’m seeing how my body and family reacts, too.”

After becoming Lakers teammates with his son Bronny James this past season, LeBron said it would be “insane” if he also got the opportunity to play alongside younger son Bryce James, who would be draft-eligible as early as 2026. Whether or not that happens, the four-time MVP expressed appreciation to his family for enthusiastically supporting him for as long as he wants to continue playing.

“They’re like ‘Dad, continue on your dream. This is your dream. Continue on your focus. You’ve been here for us this whole time,'” LeBron said. “When you have that type of support… it makes it a lot easier.”

Lakers Expected To Keep Trey Jemison, Re-Sign Christian Koloko

June 15th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are likely to bring back two-way players Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko next season, Jovan Buha of The Athletic said in a recent video Q&A session (YouTube link, hat tip to BasketNews).

Jemison signed a two-year, two-way contract in January, so Buha expects L.A. to keep him as one of its three two-way players. The 25-year-old center had some productive moments in his 22 games with the Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per night while shooting 61.9% from the field. He also spent time with New Orleans last season and had brief stints with Washington and Memphis in 2023/24.

Koloko, who’ll turn 25 this week, joined the Lakers in September after overcoming a blood clot issue that forced him to sit out the 2023/24 season. He appeared in 37 games, averaging 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per night and shot 60.6% from the floor. Koloko will become a restricted free agent if the Lakers submit a qualifying offer, which Buha expects them to do.

“I think it would be a mistake to let him walk without at least trying to retain him,” Buha said. “Koloko makes sense as a 14th or 15th guy on the roster, a third center. And Jemison fits as a two-way guy. I think both guys would tentatively be back.”

The Lakers’ other two-way player from this season, Jordan Goodwin, was promoted to a standard contract in late March. There was speculation that Jemison or Koloko might join him to become eligible for the playoffs, but L.A. opted to keep veteran big man Alex Len, who made two brief appearances in the first-round loss to Minnesota. Coach J.J. Redick played without a center for long stretches as the series wore on.

Buha addressed a few other topics in the video, stating that Jazz center Walker Kessler is probably unrealistic as a trade target and suggesting veteran point guard Chris Paul as a free agent addition on a veteran’s minimum contract.

Dorian Finney-Smith Undergoes Left Ankle Surgery

June 12th, 2025 at 2:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who holds a $15.4MM player option for next season, recently underwent surgery to deal with a “lingering” left ankle injury and is expected to be ready for training camp in the fall, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

According to McMenamin, Finney-Smith has been bothered by his left ankle for “several seasons,” but the 32-year-old was determined to play through the injury. The procedure will give him the ability to play without pain.

As McMenamin writes, Finney-Smith missed a total of 20 games last season related to issues with the ankle, including eight after being traded from Brooklyn to Los Angeles at the end of December.

While his counting stats — including 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game — with the Lakers were fairly modest, Finney-Smith shot 39.8% from long distance and provided the sort of versatile defense and toughness the team had long been seeking.

As our Luke Adams mentioned in his Offseason Preview, the Lakers were far better when the three-and-D forward was on the court, and went 29-14 in games he played during the regular season, McMenamin notes.

Bucks Rumors: Giannis, Lopez, Portis, Porter, Trent

June 11th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo ponders his NBA future, he won’t let outside events rush the decision, Shams Charania of ESPN said today in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). There has been speculation for weeks that the two-time MVP might demand a trade to improve his chances of winning another NBA title, but Charania suggests that interested teams may have to wait a lot longer.

“His status will not be tied to the NBA draft, it won’t be tied to free agency,” Charania said. “It’s much more likely that his future plays out into July and into August in terms of him seeing the landscape of not only the Bucks – seeing the landscape of the league, seeing what other teams do.”

Antetokounmpo reportedly met with Bucks officials last month to discuss the direction of the franchise. Nothing was leaked from that meeting, but there has been a sense of growing skepticism around the league that Antetokounmpo will actually be on the trade market this summer, with an NBA executive predicting to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com this week that the 30-year-old “isn’t going anywhere.”

Charania states that Antetokounmpo’s history of being loyal to Milwaukee contributes to that feeling, but cautions that he hasn’t reached a final decision yet.

“When you’re a star of that caliber, the league moves how you want it to move,” Charania added. “The league will move when you’re ready to ask for a trade or if you’re ready to say that I’m staying, I want to be back.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Teams interested in trading for Antetokounmpo have begun to move forward with alternate strategies as the draft and free agency draw nearer, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). League sources tell Fischer that the Bucks aren’t considering any of the trade offers they’ve received for their star forward, and they seem to be operating as though they expect him to be on the roster next season.
Milwaukee may find it challenging to retain free agent center Brook Lopez, Fischer observes in the same piece. Sources tell him that the Lakers, who are known to be in the market for center help, have been interested in Lopez for several years. The Rockets, who were close to signing Lopez two years ago, may try again if they can’t reach a new deal with Steven Adams, their own free agent big man.
The Bucks are hoping to keep Bobby Portis, but he might have several mid-level offers to choose from if he declines his $13.4MM player option for next season, Fischer adds. He identifies the Warriors as a possible suitor, noting that Steve Kerr has been a fan of Portis since coaching him in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Stein hears that Kevin Porter Jr., who’s expected to decline his $2.55MM player option for next season, and Gary Trent Jr. will also draw plenty of interest on the free agent market.

2025 NBA Offseason Preview: Los Angeles Lakers

June 11th, 2025 at 9:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The four seasons that followed the Lakers' 2020 title were relatively uninspiring for a team that featured two future Hall of Famers in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Los Angeles posted a total regular season record of 165-153 (.519) across those four years from 2020-24, missing the playoffs once and getting eliminated in the first round twice. Even in 2023, when the Lakers advanced to the conference finals, they had just a 43-39 record during the season and were swept out of the postseason by Denver.

While the end result of the 2024/25 season was another first-round playoff exit, there are a couple important reasons why it would be inaccurate to say the year was more of the same for the Lakers.

First, with the lone exception of the COVID-shortened championship season in 2019/20, L.A.'s 50-32 record was the best single-season mark the club has posted since 2012. The last time the Lakers won 50 or more games in a full 82-game season was when Phil Jackson was on the sidelines and Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum were on the roster.

Second, and more importantly, Luka Doncic became a Laker during the 2024/25 season.

Much of the discourse in the hours, days, weeks, and months that followed February's shocking Doncic blockbuster focused on what exactly the Mavericks were thinking when they traded away a popular five-time All-NBA first-teamer in his prime. But Dallas wasn't the only franchise whose trajectory was changed irrevocably by the decision. Instead of having James pass the torch in the coming years to Davis, who turned 32 years old in March, the club is set up to build around the 26-year-old Doncic for the next decade.

The acquisition of Doncic didn't turn the Lakers into legitimate championship contenders in the short term. After all, there will always be some growing pains when a ball-dominant star gets accustomed to a new situation halfway through the season.

Plus, the fact that they had to part with Davis - a star in his own right - and nixed a separate deadline deal for center Mark Williams due to concerns about his physical meant the Lakers had a serious dearth of frontcourt talent. It was an issue that came back to haunt them in the postseason, when the Timberwolves dispatched them in five games in the conference quarterfinals.

That sort of first-round playoff exit with the old roster would've created real angst in Los Angeles heading into the offseason, and we likely would've spent weeks or months speculating about how the Lakers could add another impact player this summer to take advantage of what little time they have left with LeBron. Instead, the high of the Doncic trade has lingered for months, significantly reducing the pain of that quick postseason ouster.

Sure, the Lakers need to address the center position and will explore additional roster upgrades before next season tips off, but it certainly feels like there's far less urgency to make a major splash in the short term now that one of the NBA's perennial MVP candidates appears poised to be in L.A. for years to come.

The Lakers' Offseason Plan

Although it's an issue that will have to be addressed later in the summer, ensuring that Doncic will, in fact, be a Laker for the foreseeable future figures to be a top priority for the front office. The star guard will technically become extension-eligible in July, but restrictions on his total years and dollars will remain in place until August 2, six months after the trade that sent him to Los Angeles. At that point, he'll be able to sign for up to a projected $228.6MM over four years.

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