Los Angeles Lakers fans were jumping for joy when the news broke of Mark Walter and his ownership group stepping in and buying the team for a whopping $10 billion dollars. The initial prognosis suggested Jeanie Buss would remain governor of the team, and a follow-up report that recently came from NBA insider Sam Amick will offer a timeframe that is longer than desirable.
Amick wrote, "Per a team source, Buss’ agreement with Walter and the NBA stipulates that she’ll remain the team’s governor for at least the next five seasons. "
One of the biggest question marks that left fans wondering after the sale was how the power structure internally would look. Buss retaining the position of governor was expected by most, but many had questions of whether this would play out similarly to an instance like when Mark Cuban sold the Dallas Mavericks.
That does not look to be the case. Amick's report suggests Buss will keep the reins over the team for the foreseeable future. That could mean the potential impact of the new ownership group will not truly be seen for quite some time.
Lakers set to experience more of the same amid ownership change
Those hoping for sweeping changes in Los Angeles after Walter's takeover will be left disappointed with the news. The balance of power internally appears to still reside with the Buss family.
There was a time when that was undoubtedly a good thing. However, recent years have raised concerns over the type of accountability that exists with the current regime.
The troubling thought with Amick's claim of things staying relatively stagnant for 'at least the next five seasons' is Buss will preside over the prime years of Luka Doncic with the Lakers. Their newest superstar just turned 26 and is headed for the most crucial years of his career.
The worry here would be those best years of Doncic being wasted with a front office that is not quite up to par to surround him with a proper championship contender. The initial start in free agency has certainly added to that doubt.
No one expected Rob Pelinka to pull a rabbit out of a hat and suddenly materialize the best team in basketball that is head and shoulders above the rest of the league. However, the hope was there would be more done to give them a fighting chance in 2025-26.
More of the same right now is not thought by many to be a good thing. The unfortunate reality is it may take some time here before that changes and the fingerprints of Walter's group are all over the organization.