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Mark Cuban’s exit from the Dallas Mavericks wasn’t just a sale – it was an exemplary ownership illusion. He sold for $3.5 billion but clung to basketball decisions, only to fade from view within months. Former Mavs VP Mike Marshall saw it firsthand. “It was like a slow divorce… really weird directionally,” he noted. Employees lost playoff bonuses. Cuban vanished, and confusion reigned. This quiet power struggle hints at bigger league headaches.

Now, a similar storm brews over Los Angeles. The Lakers’ $10 billion sale to billionaire Mark Walter put Jeanie Buss in a precarious spot. She kept her governor title but not majority control. And insiders whisper, Adam Silver’s office does not see these half-in, half-out deals in a good light.

Chris Mannix addressed that tension on a recent appearance at The Greg Hill Show: “The NBA wants the person with the most financial stake to have the biggest voice”. He said, “I mean, we saw it sort of with Mark Cuban, where he thought he was going to sell the team and maintain his position as head of basketball operations,” which frames the Lakers’ situation through a clear precedent.

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Silver’s rules are crystal clear: governors need at least 15% ownership. Buss barely meets that, but Cuban’s 27% stake didn’t save him. After selling the Mavs, he became an “alternate governor” while Patrick Dumont took charge. The league enforces this strictly. Just ask Celtics’ Wyc Grousbeck. He sold Boston for $6.1 billion, expecting to stay until 2028. But got ousted early when his stake dipped under the threshold.

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Silver was not joking when he quoted, “It is very important to us that individuals are in a position to control our teams, be responsible to the fans, be responsible to their partners and to the players.” And that philosophy helps explain why the NBA has enforced changes after other big sales. Past situations with Mark Cuban and the moves in Boston show the office will act when the practical control does not match the paperwork.

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For Jeanie Buss, the practical implication is clear and immediate. If the league determines operational control rests with the majority owner, then the governor title and decision power could move away from her. And that prospect matters to the Lakers’ stability and to how the franchise is run. The comparison to owners who sold large stakes and then saw their roles shrink provides a pattern rather than an isolated concern. And the coming weeks of league review and internal talks will likely decide whether this particular family era continues or yields to a new model.

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Jeanie Buss next after Wyc’s shocking exit?

The Boston sale set a recent, visible template when Shams Charania reported the deal and the immediate governance shift. His wordings made the change unmistakable when he wrote, “Wyc Grousbeck will no longer stay on as governor as part of the Boston Celtics’ $6.1 billion sale to Bill Chisholm, sources tell me and @ramonashelburne. Plan had been for Grousbeck to remain through 2028. Chisholm assumes governor title, and the transfer will be finalized soon.” This shows the league can enforce swift role changes after approval. And that Boston situation is now a reference point for what could happen in Los Angeles.

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Is Jeanie Buss the next to lose control, or will she defy the NBA's strict rules?

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Adam Himmelsbach’s follow-up reporting added detail about transitional titles and timelines. He noted, “According to a league source, Bill Chisholm will become lead governor when his purchase of the Celtics is soon finalized, but Wyc Grousbeck will remain as alternate governor and CEO through 2028”. And that nuance matters. Because it shows the league can carve out roles for outgoing owners while moving governance formally to the new holder. Lakers observers are watching whether a similar split will be proposed for Jeanie Buss. Or whether the governor title will pass more directly to the new majority owner.

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Fan and insider reactions pushed the narrative even further when social posts linked the Celtics’ decision to Los Angeles. And suggested impatience with the status quo. Some online replies were blunt with predictions like “Jeanie next.” And pleas to the new owner, such as “Mark Walter pay attention…”. This reflects a segment of the fanbase eager for a leadership reset. Those voices matter because public sentiment often shapes boardroom conversations.

So, keep an eye on how the league frames its next steps. And on whether Buss stays in a prominent operational role or transitions to a different title under the new ownership structure.

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Is Jeanie Buss the next to lose control, or will she defy the NBA's strict rules?

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