Proprietor Jeanie Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jay Mohr previous to recreation one among a primary spherical NBA basketball recreation between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
Keith Birmingham | MediaNews Group | Pasadena Star-Information | Getty Pictures
The Buss household has agreed to promote a majority stake of the Los Angeles Lakers to businessman Mark Walter in a deal that values the staff at $10 billion, in response to folks with data of the phrases.
The sale would mark a brand new document for NBA valuations. The Crypto.com Area, the place the Lakers play, is owned by AEG and isn’t included within the deal.
CNBC’s most up-to-date Official NBA Group Valuations ranked the Lakers as third within the league when it comes to worth, at $7 billion.
“Mark Walter is coming into into an settlement to amass further pursuits within the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, which he has been a stakeholder since 2021,” a consultant for Walter mentioned in a press release to CNBC.
The Lakers didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
As a part of the deal, Jeanie Buss will retain a minority stake within the staff she has owned since her household bought the franchise in 1979 for $67.5 million. She can even retain her governor seat.
Walter is CEO and co-founder of Guggenheim Companions and isn’t new to sports activities possession. He’s additionally the bulk proprietor of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, WNBA’s Sparks and Cadillac’s forthcoming Components 1 staff. He additionally owns the Skilled Ladies’s Hockey League.
Former Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who can also be a enterprise companion of Walter’s, praised the transaction in a publish on X.
“Job nicely accomplished to my sister Jeanie Buss for putting an unimaginable deal and selecting the correct particular person to hold on the Lakers legacy and custom of successful,” Johnson mentioned. “Mark Walter is your best option and would be the greatest caretaker of the Laker model.”
NBA valuations have skyrocketed for the reason that league accomplished its most up-to-date media rights settlement, valued at $77 billion over 11 years.
In March, the Boston Celtics offered for a then-record of $6.1 billion to non-public fairness govt Invoice Chisholm.
The Celtics and Lakers are arguably two of probably the most marquee franchises within the NBA.
In February, the Lakers acquired Dallas Mavericks famous person Luka Doncic to staff up with LeBron James.
The Lakers completed the 2025 season because the No. 3 seed within the Western Convention with a 50-32 document.
The Lakers have received 11 NBA titles for the reason that Buss household took over, probably the most of any NBA franchise throughout that interval.
— CNBC’s Michael Ozanian contributed to this report.
