Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić has now played under five different ownership regimes in barely two years, a number that says more about his situation than any box score could.
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That instability just resurfaced through a very public family dispute. Lakers governor Jeanie Buss reportedly opposed her siblings’ vote to sell the family’s remaining 17.8 percent stake to incoming owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, a sale that would end her time running the franchise entirely.
The other five Buss siblings opted for the deal anyway, citing a tag-along clause which was based on the sale by Mark Walter himself of $12.5 billion.
Jeanie’s lawyer claimed that two siblings had leaked false information to journalists, and considering that the NBA requires governors to have a minimum of 15 percent ownership, selling would cause her to lose her title as a governor, which she has held since 2013.
That fight lands squarely on the front office Dončić has leaned on since arriving.
NBA analyst Damien Peters captured the stakes in a post on X.
“Luka Dončić was traded out of nowhere by a front office that he trusted deeply. He was then welcomed by a Lakers front office that helped put the pieces back together. Now, the majority of that same front office has departed. Superstars value stability, and the Lakers do not have that right now.”
This message comes with some gravity considering the way Dončić’s time with the Lakers actually began.
Dončić was nearly asleep in February 2025 when he learned of his trade from Dallas. The general manager, Nico Harrison, had spent a month negotiating the deal in secret, which ultimately cost Dončić his supermax eligibility and over $100 million in guaranteed money.
Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka spent the following year trying to make up for that blindside.
According to reports, Pelinka constructed the offseason roster with Dončić’s direct input, and Jeanie personally convinced him that the franchise’s future plans would move away from LeBron James to focus on building a team around him.
That personal guarantee is exactly what now looks shaky.
Now that Jeanie’s position is at stake and Pelinka has always been safe only so long as she remains in charge, the management that helped Dončić restore faith after his Dallas experience might no longer be running the show at the Lakers.
In fact, James’ offseason move to the Philadelphia 76ers only serves to further that exposure, making Dončić the unprotected face of the Lakers amid a period of legitimate organizational uncertainty.
NBA writer Quinn spoke to Dončić’s opinion on X. “Luka is a free agent in 2028. Dallas is by far the better basketball situation. This drama doesn’t help the Laker case.”
This comparison is heavily dependent on the 2025 top pick, Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, who showed NBA-level play as a rookie and is now leading a young team under Mavericks management.
No matter what the circumstances, the on-court accomplishments of Dončić from the previous season cannot be disputed: 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games, resulting in an All-Star selection and yet another scoring title.
Financially speaking, Dončić will be safe either way since Iger and Kushner purchased the Lakers with the objective of competing globally rather than a complete turnaround. The main issue will be whether the new administration trusts him the way Jeanie and Pelinka did or if Doncic needs to earn their trust all over again.