The sale of the majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter was recently announced and made official, which marks a drastic shift in the storied franchise’s direction, with the team eventually pivoting away from the Buss family.
Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979, with his sons and daughters assisting in the franchise’s operation ever since. Jeanie Buss took over for her father after his passing in 2013Â and has done an admirable job, along with her siblings, in keeping the franchise one of the most successful in professional sports.
However, following the sale of the team to Walter, the consensus has been that the Buss family will be phased out, and it appears that has begun happening as of Thursday.
Lakers Begin to Phase Out the Buss Family
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the new Lakers ownership has terminated the positions of Joey and Jesse Buss in the front office.
The Los Angeles Lakers are reorganizing their basketball operations department and terminating executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front office positions, effective immediately, the brothers told ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2025
The two brothers have played a significant role in the Lakers’ front office for the past decade, contributing to the organization’s scouting efforts. Even though their positions have been terminated, they’ll remain minority owners moving forward.
Jesse and Joey made the following statement after the news broke on Thursday, as reported by Charania.
Statement from Joey and Jesse Buss: “We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At… https://t.co/2w3vjXWZ98
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2025
Along with Joey and Jesse being relieved of their duties, much of the Lakers’ scouting staff was also let go on Thursday, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
In addition to Joey and Jesse Buss being terminated by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, much of the scouting staff has also been let go, sources told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 20, 2025
Once it became known that Walter and his ownership would be taking over, there was a lot of speculation about what the future would hold for Jeanie and her siblings. Although Joey and Jesse no longer hold positions in the front office, Jeanie will remain in her current role as governor and team president for the next five years.
It’ll be interesting to see if that stance changes for her, as Walter and company might want to start fresh sooner rather than later. Thursday’s moves indicate a desire to shake things up while starting to mold them in a way the new majority owner wants.
