RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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When the NBA officially approved the $10 billion sale of the Lakers to a group led by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter in October 2025, it was supposed to signal an end to the mom-and-pop shop era of a franchise once owned by the Buss family.
We figured the purchase would send an influx of financial resources into scouting and analyses that could better help the Lakers compete on par with their status as one of the league's premier franchises. After all, the Lakers have, with the exception of one championship, largely been poorly run since the 2013 death of Dr. Jerry Buss.
Only, Walter's deal kept Jeanie Buss as the team's lead governor for another five years, and Buss kept her hand-picked general manager, Rob Pelinka, in place, too. So, no changes to a leadership structure that has largely failed to build around its stars.
Now that Josh Kushner and Bob Iger have reportedly agreed to purchase the Lakers from Walter for an American sports franchise record $12.5 billion — less than a year after the team's most recent record sale was completed — is it time to officially clean house, removing Buss as governor and Pelinka as the head of basketball operations?
It could be easily argued Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka hasn't been very good at his job. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) Luke Hales via Getty Images
Let's run through their track record.
As the Buss family was embroiled in a legal battle over controlling rights to the team, the Lakers had their first big chance to spend once Kobe Bryant's contract came off the books, and they couldn't even secure a free-agency meeting with Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. That's how sad of a state the Lakers were in in a post-Bryant era.
Instead, the Lakers spent on Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov, setting the franchise back several years. They were so bad during that stretch that they picked second in three successive drafts — 2015, 2016 and 2017 — landing D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, all of whom failed to make the playoffs on their rookie contracts.
In February 2017, Jeanie Buss rightfully fired the Lakers' general manager (Mitch Kupchak) and vice president of basketball operations (her brother, Jim), replacing them without a nationwide search for the best in the business. Instead, she kept the family circle tight, hiring friends — Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Bryant's agent, Pelinka — to serve as their president of basketball operations and GM, respectively.
The working relationship between Johnson and Pelinka ended poorly, as Johnson abruptly left his post in April 2019. But not before they were able to recruit LeBron James to Los Angeles in July 2018. How much credit do Buss and Pelinka warrant for James choosing to move where his residence and business were already located?
Probably about as much as they deserve for the acquisitions of Anthony Davis (whose arrival was mostly facilitated by Rich Paul, the agent for James and Davis) and Luka Dončić (who was gifted to the Lakers by then-Mavs GM Nico Harrison).
Which is to say: Not as much as the Lakers' brand itself, which just sold for a ton.
Granted, Buss and Pelinka technically built the 2020 championship team, signing a series of veterans who helped James and Davis to the title. But for every signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green or Rajon Rondo there is a move for Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell or any number of past-his-prime stars that did not deliver.
Likewise, for every acquisition of Davis or Dončić there is one of Russell Westbrook, who cost them draft picks on both ends of a failed transaction. And for every story of development (Austin Reaves) there are more about Alex Caruso and Ivica Zubac, who left for nothing in return when each could have been retained on relative value.
It has been a hit-or-miss decade-long run for Buss and Pelinka, and we have entered a salary-cap era that affords fewer and fewer misses. They acquired the star, Dončić, but do you really trust them to put the right pieces around him to compete for a title?
They had a shot this summer and swung for the fences, trading the rights to four first-round draft picks for the opportunity to sign Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million contract. It was a massive bet . They took longterm gambles on Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton, who, when added together, lock the Lakers into a team that is projected to win fewer games than it did last season.
Their cache of draft picks and young, low-cost talent is bare, unless you want to include Bronny James as an asset. Reaves will make $41.2 million this season. Kessler will make $30.1 million. Dončić is due $49.5 million. This is their team, and LeBron believed more in the Philadelphia 76ers' title chances than he did in these Lakers.
We have seen Dončić lead overachievers to the NBA Finals on the Dallas Mavericks. How close he can come to repeating that feat could determine the fate of Buss and Pelinka in L.A. — if they survive as governor and GM through this latest sale.
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