How The Lakers Record $10 Billion Dollar Sale Impacts the Franchise, the NBA and the World of Sports Going Forward

After 46 years in control of one of the most storied franchises in the history of sports, last week the Buss family decided it was time to cash in on their father's $67-million dollar investment from back in 1979. In case you missed it, on June 25th, the Buss family, led by daughter Jeanie, sold the Los Angeles Lakers at a valuation of $10 billion to Mark Walter, making it the biggest sale of a franchise in sports history.

Of course this record-breaking sale will have major ramifications on the Lakers and the NBA, but I also expect this sale to have a major ripple effect across the entire world of sports.

Before we can break down how huge this sale really is, we should go back to the beginning.

A Quick Recap of the Lakers’ Ownership Shift

The Lakers have been owned by the Buss family since 1979, when the late Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the team for $67 million. After his passing in 2013, his daughter Jeanie Buss took over as the controlling owner. Throughout the Buss family's 46 years of owning the team, the Lakers enjoyed a ton of success, winning 11 championships during that time, as well as seeing some of the game's all-time greats wear the purple and gold. Some of which include Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

Now, with the LeBron set to close over the next couple of years and the Luka Doncic era set to begin, the Buss family has sold the team to Mark Walter, who is currently the majority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If you follow baseball, you know the Dodgers aren't cheap; in fact, they spend more than anyone. The team currently has the highest payroll in all of baseball as they look to defend their 2024 World Series championship. By bringing in star talent over and over again, they’ve built a culture around doing whatever it takes to win and by making sure money or a lack of spending is not the reason for if or when they lose.

With Walter now set to take over, I expect that mindset to make its way over to the Lakers.

Why This Matters for the Lakers

Of course, unlike in the MLB, the Walter group will not just be able to buy players, as the NBA does have a salary cap (which is looking more like a hard cap by the day). But this newfoundwealth for the Lakers should make a massive difference in all areas within the organization.

Take coaching, for example. Back in 2019, it seemed all but certain that the Lakers were going to hire Tyronn Lue as the franchise' next head coach. Lue would have come in with championship pedigree and LeBron James' support, as the two of them won a championship together back in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Well, why didn't Lue become the coach? Because the team lowballed him. Lue wanted a five-year deal to come coach the Lakers, and instead, the team said three years was their final offer. The Lakers wouldn't offer the deal he wanted because, as a family-run operation, the Buss family had to stay within a budget. The family didn't make much from outside businesses; a lot of their living was made through the Lakers 'themselves.

As he did not get the long-term commitment he wanted, Lue turned them down and ended up taking the Clippers head coach job in 2020. The Lakers pivoted to Frank Vogel, who, to his credit, did help deliver a title in his first season on the job—but since then, it’s been a revolving door on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Lue has become one of the better coaches in the NBA.

I don't see something like that happening under Mark Walter.

With deeper pockets, the Lakers can now afford to go after some of the best minds in basketball. Whether that be in the front office or the coaching staff. For example, while I do have my problems with him, I would not be shocked if we start to hear rumors about Raptors' president Masai Ujiri potentially heading to Los Angeles to take over the Lakers. Ujiri has one year left on his deal with the Raptors, and while he has had a rough couple of years, he is still considered one of the better executives in the NBA. If the Lakers fall short again? Don’t be surprised if Walter gives him a call.

Or a big-galaxy-brain idea: the Miami Heat appear to be in NBA no-man's land right now, and I would guess Pat Riley will be retiring soon, as he is 80 years old. With a pretty mediocre roster and Riley likely leaving soon, if things were to ever go sideways in Miami and Spoelstra became available, the Lakers could instantly afford him. He’s widely regarded as the NBA’s best coach—and now, LA could be a realistic destination.

Let me be clear, I do think JJ Redick has a bright future ahead of him, and I think he will likely end up becoming one of the best coaches in the league as he continues to learn on the job. I am just stating that when your ownership has real money, it simply gives you a ton of options.

Let's move onto how this makes the Lakers a real free agent destination once again. There’s a myth that free agents automatically want to go to the Lakers because it's LA. But in reality, LeBron James in 2018 is the only major free agent the Lakers have landed in the past 20 years—and even then, I think it's fair to say that basketball wasn’t necessarily his #1 priority.

Remember, in 2016, they couldn't even get a free agent meeting with Kevin Durant. That's embarrassing for a franchise like the Lakers.

With new ownership, I expect that to change. The Lakers no longer will just be relying on their logo and legacy—they should have the infrastructure and leadership to back it up.

Wider Impacts Across the Sports World

This sale doesn’t just affect the Lakers. It could signal a new era in professional sports ownership—where more teams start selling, and for a lot more money.

For example, how much could another NBA franchise like the New York Knicks sell for? If they ever hit the market—and that’s a big “if” with James Dolan—you’re likely not just buying the team but also Madison Square Garden. I think the Knicks could realistically go for $15 billion or more.

Or we can move over to the NFL. It's been rumored for years that perhaps the Chicago Bears could go on sale in the near future, or at the very least the McCaskey family has at least entertained the idea of selling. With a new stadium in the works, I think the Bears could fetch $13 billion or higher.

The Lakers don’t even own their arena, and they still went for $10B. That’s shocking.

The value of franchises is exploding, and ownership groups with deep pockets will set a new standard for what it takes to compete—not just on the field, but at the executive level too.

We may look back at the $10B sale of the Lakers as one that redefined power, spending, and influence in the world of sports.