Change. The Los Angeles Lakers just cannot stop facing new realities this offseason. They said goodbye to LeBron James. Luka Doncic then became the outright face of the franchise. The Lakers also won’t play on opening night for the first time in eight years. And if that wasn’t enough, on Wednesday, another big, bizarre ownership change occurred, prompting a personal response from Doncic, who relates to that (now) forbidden word more than most.

The Lakers, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, have a new owner. The LA franchise has been sold to Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion. Before we get to the why, here’s what Doncic said on social media to react to the news.

“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA,” Doncic tweeted. “I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”

We called this response deeply personal because Doncic touched on the ‘big changes’ aspect in it. He was most likely referring to his move from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers and his tough child-custody battle behind the scenes. Doncic’s tweet, though, prompted a heartfelt reply from Governor Jeanie Buss.

“Perfectly said 💛💜,” Buss wrote while showcasing the legacy colors of the franchise.

The Lakers were already in the middle of a rebuild around Doncic. They went all out this summer to surround the Slovenian with (hopefully) capable teammates, with Rob Pelinka even gutting their future draft capital in the process. It was a vision approved by Mark Walter, who’s faced his own set of non-NBA issues in recent times. Did that really prompt or force the sale, though?

Walter is selling amid reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors are investigating potential financial improprieties at two of his insurance companies and at Guggenheim Partners, the financial firm he co-founded…

“I wouldn’t say I am a conspiracy theorist, but it does seem weird that a guy who owns multiple sports teams and was in the middle of rebuilding the Lakers entire business operation would sell the team for a 20% gain in 2 years at the same time he is being investigated for fraud,” sports business expert Joe Pompliano tweeted.

Walter took over from the Buss family not too long ago. The deal was only approved by the NBA Board of Governors in October 2025. He bought out the Buss family’s controlling stake at a then-record $10 billion valuation. But within a year, Walter has sold the Purple and Gold to a Donald Trump connection.

Here’s how.

Joshua Kushner has three siblings, and one of them, Jared Kushner, served as a senior White House advisor during Trump’s first term and is a special envoy in the current Trump administration. There is also a personal connection: Jared is married to Ivanka Trump.

But the White House was quick to deny any involvement in the Lakers’ recent ownership change, according to Front Office Sports. The POTUS has yet to break his silence about the huge NBA team sale. Meanwhile, new owners Kushner and Iger released a joint statement.

“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”

Kushner and Iger weren’t interested in the Lakers at first. They reportedly discussed a potential NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas before pivoting to the Lakers after a reported conversation with Walter on Sunday. It appears to have all come together after only three days of planning.

Crucially, this deal is yet to be finalized and approved by the NBA’s board of governors.

Meanwhile, the Lakers transaction does not affect Walter’s ownership of the Dodgers, which he retains along with his other sports holdings. Bloomberg recently reported that Walter is trying to raise cash to pay down debt related to the investigation he is currently under.

What happens to the Lakers now? Is the Buss family still around?

In an exclusive statement to the New York Post, Bob Iger said that he and Joshua Kushner “have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie.” And according to the Walter agreement, the Buss family maintained its 15% share, and Jeanie stayed as the Governor.

It is important to note that the Lakers head coach, JJ Redick, knows Iger, who’s been a longtime season-ticket holder with the Los Angeles Clippers. Redick played there from 2013-17. The new owners are yet to fully address Luka Doncic and the other players gearing up for the fresh 2026-27 NBA season.

Now, from a tactical point of view, Walter had begun his ‘Dodgerfication’ with the Lakers, relying heavily on scouting, analytics, and even recruiting staff for it. Lon Rosen was brought in as the new president of business operations, which led to GM-focused hirings, culminating in the offseason player overhaul we saw with Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, and a lot more names coming in.

Iger, in his statement, didn’t really commit to any direction, admitting it “is very new.”

The next few months are going to be interesting for the Lakers.