The Los Angeles Lakers have moved to reorganize their basketball operations department and have terminated executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their front-office roles, sources told Shams Charania.
The brothers issued a joint statement to ESPN saying they are “extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons” and that they will “maintain their minority ownership shares” in the franchise.
Joey and Jesse have held key scouting and personnel roles for the past decade, credited with helping identify players such as Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Max Christie. Their departures remove two longtime Lakers evaluators who helped bridge the club’s championship and post-championship eras.
The decision comes as Los Angeles sits 11-4 this season, in the midst of another title pursuit that has featured standout play from Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Financially and structurally, the move stops short of an ownership exit: Joey and Jesse will keep their minority stakes while ceding operational duties, according to the brothers’ statement to ESPN. That distinction matters for governance — ownership shares preserve voice and value even as day-to-day control shifts to other executives.
On the roster side, the Lakers have benefited from the scouting hits tied to the Buss family, notably Austin Reaves’ emergence as a rotation catalyst and Kuzma’s early-career production.
