Los Angeles Lakers Front Office Overhauled Amid Ownership Transition

The Los Angeles Lakers have completely restructured their front office. To date, they have had Joey and Jesse Buss arrested and fired. This move is symbolic, and possibly the biggest change for the franchise itself. It comes on the heels of the approval of Walter as the new majority owner on October 29. The Lakers’ ownership transition marks a notable shift from the Buss family’s long-standing control of the team, which has been valued at $10 billion.

Shams Charania, a leading NBA reporter, first reported on these exciting developments. One major positive that he pointed out was that Jeanie Buss will continue to be the Lakers governor for a minimum of the next five years. This assurance is timely indeed, as it is the voice of some stability amidst recent turbulence within the organization. The Lakers fired almost all of the other members of their scouting department in this massive shake-up.

Mark Walter, who in turn is associated with TWG Sports, has now assuming control of the Lakers after this ownership change, Uncertainty. Walter and his consortium are the owners of the Los Angeles Sparks, a WNBA franchise. Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman certainly have their fingerprints all over Major League Baseball. In the intervening time, they’ve assumed advisory roles with the Los Angeles Lakers. Zaidi serves as a special adviser to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the flip side, Friedman is arguably even better in his current role as president of baseball operations for the L.A.

The common denominator of Zaidi’s and Friedman’s success, for those unfamiliar with their history with the Dodgers, is an interesting angle to their involvement. It’s been a winning formula, as under Friedman’s stewardship, the Dodgers have gone on to win three of the last six World Series championships. Their experience will be crucial to help steer the ship during the Lakers’ transition. It will increase the success of the team itself in the very cutthroat pro basketball market.

Zaidi is acting as Walter’s representative during this transition period, helping to facilitate changes within the Lakers’ organization. Collectively, they are setting out to build a different kind of team, one that goes beyond the common understanding of Walter’s vision.