The Lakers’ leadership structure remains unsettled as the franchise moves through another major ownership transition.
Jeanie Buss currently remains the team’s governor, but whether she keeps that position could depend on both the pending ownership sale and an ongoing legal fight involving the Buss family.
Mark Walter recently agreed to sell his controlling interest in the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger in a transaction valuing the franchise at $12.5 billion. Kushner is expected to become the largest individual shareholder once the deal is completed.
At the same time, Buss is trying to prevent her five siblings, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss, from selling the family’s remaining 17.8% stake. The next hearing in that dispute has been moved from Nov. 5 to Dec. 8.
The outcome could directly affect Buss’ ability to continue as governor. NBA rules require her to maintain at least a 15% ownership interest to hold the position. If her siblings succeed in selling the family stake, she would no longer satisfy that requirement.
If she blocks the sale, the Buss family trust would retain enough ownership for her to remain governor.
However, another complication comes from the incoming ownership group. A source close to the NBA reportedly told The Post that Kushner is expected to become governor once his and Iger’s acquisition is finalized.
That arrangement would appear logical because Kushner is expected to control the largest stake, while Iger is reportedly positioned to take a more active role in the Lakers’ everyday operations.
Still, Iger previously indicated that the new owners planned to respect Walter’s agreement allowing Buss to remain governor through at least 2030.
“If things change, they’ll change,” Iger told The Post at the time. “But we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who [Buss] is and what she represents in the organization.”
The Buss siblings’ attempt to sell their remaining interest could represent exactly the kind of change Iger referenced. But if Jeanie successfully prevents that transaction, her position could become considerably more complicated to resolve.
