The Los Angeles Lakers’ front-office shake-up has intensified dramatically, as brothers Joey Buss and Jesse Buss confirmed they were fired following the franchise’s historic $10 billion sale — a move that has pushed the organization even further away from its longtime identity as a Buss family–run operation.

The decision comes just months after new majority owner Mark Walter — who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and is chairman of Guggenheim Partners — finalized a record-breaking deal with the Buss family. The agreement valued the Lakers at an unprecedented $10 billion, the highest price ever associated with a U.S. professional sports team. Although Jeanie Buss retained her role as team governor for at least the next five years, the shift in control appears to have triggered fresh internal fractures.

Joey and Jesse Buss confirm firing after 20 years

Speaking to ESPN, Joey and Jesse revealed they were dismissed after two decades of service in roles deeply intertwined with the team’s structure and scouting pipeline. Joey served as vice president of research and development and as the organization’s alternate governor. Jesse, meanwhile, was assistant general manager and had been a central figure in the team’s scouting department for over a decade.

Joey and Jesse Buss were fired by the Lakers on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the brothers expressed gratitude but also disappointment with how the situation was handled:

“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 times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.”

Their father, Dr. Jerry Buss, owned the Lakers from 1979 until his death in 2013 and built the franchise into one of the most successful and glamorous organizations in sports.

Jesse Buss points to Jeanie amid family tension

In a pointed comment to ESPN, Jesse suggested that Jeanie Buss, who remains the team governor, played a role in pushing her siblings out:

“Dr. Buss’ idea was for Joey and I to run basketball operations one day,” Jesse said. “But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired.”

The remark underscores the long-rumored internal tensions within the Buss family regarding control of the Lakers, especially since Jeanie took over as controlling owner and famously ousted her brother Jim Buss from basketball operations in 2017.

Jeanie Buss and Jay Mohr attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat at Crypto.com Arena on November 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.

A changing era under Mark Walter

Following the sale’s approval, Walter praised the franchise’s legacy and emphasized his vision for the future:

“The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports… Few teams carry the legacy and global influence of the Lakers, and it’s a privilege to work alongside Jeanie Buss as we maintain that excellence and set the standard for success in this new era.”

Although Joey and Jesse have been removed from their roles, they will retain their minority ownership stakes in the team. Still, their departure marks a significant turning point, as two of the last Buss family members directly involved in day-to-day operations have now been cut from the organizational structure.

Mark Walter (r.) with wife Kimbra (l.) at a Lakers game on Nov. 2, 2025.

Joey also served as team president and CEO of the South Bay Lakers — the franchise’s G League affiliate — while Jesse was a widely respected director of scouting credited with helping identify late-draft talent and hidden prospects.

For many fans, the firings represent not just a business move, but the symbolic unraveling of the Buss family’s operational legacy — a legacy that defined the Lakers’ glitz, success, and Hollywood identity for more than four decades.

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Sources (ESPN, Los Angeles Times, The Athletic, New York Post)