The Lakers’ offseason already had plenty going on, but the biggest change may have come away from the floor. Los Angeles has remade parts of the roster, and now the franchise itself has a new ownership group after a record-setting sale that pushed the summer into another gear.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that “The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, multiple sources told ESPN. The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to buy the Lakers from Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year for a then-record franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion,”
Not long after that news broke, Luka Doncic made it clear where he stands. In a post, he said, “Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA.
I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together,”
Even with that public commitment, the Lakers still have a situation to watch. Doncic is not tied to the team by a long-term deal, and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said that leaves room for questions if the organization keeps shifting around him.
“[Nikola Jokic] can profess his loyalty to the [Denver] Nuggets, there's still going to be teams that are positioning themselves and monitoring that. ... It's the same thing with Luka. He's done nothing but express optimism and excitement ... but it's not that long-term of an extension,” MacMahon said.
MacMahon’s point is that Doncic and Jokic are in similar spots: both stars have said the right things about their current teams, but neither situation fully shuts the door on outside interest. That’s why the Lakers’ latest changes matter beyond the headlines.
Doncic has clearly embraced Los Angeles so far. Still, if the franchise keeps altering its ownership setup or heads in a basketball direction he doesn’t like, the conversation around his future could get louder. For now, he remains the face of the Lakers, but the uncertainty around his long-term situation is real enough to keep on the radar.
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