New Lakers owner Mark Walter might not have much patience for current GM Rob Pelinka.
Getty
New Lakers owner Mark Walter (left) might not have much patience for current GM Rob Pelinka.
The Los Angeles Lakers are bracing for a sweeping transformation that extends well beyond the roster.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are preparing for a significant front-office overhaul this summer, one that league sources say will be modeled after the championship-driven infrastructure of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The summer presents an opportunity, armed with significant cap flexibility, to start building the necessary components of a modern front office and reap early benefits,” Woike wrote. “League sources say that includes significant hires to a wide range of front-office positions this summer, with the Lakers expected to model their front office after the World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers.”
Rival Executives Brace for New-Look Lakers
The scope of the expected changes has not gone unnoticed across the league.
“It’s going to be scary,” one rival executive told Woike when asked about the potential impact of a fully built-out Lakers front office under new ownership.
The comment reflects growing belief that the Lakers are preparing to leverage advantages that are not constrained by the NBA’s salary cap — namely, infrastructure, analytics, scouting, and organizational depth.
Ownership Shift Signals New Direction
The Lakers’ internal restructuring accelerated following the NBA Board of Governors’ approval of the sale of the controlling ownership stake to Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation, the highest ever for a North American sports franchise.
Walter, chairman and CEO of TWG Global, initially purchased a minority stake in 2021 and later exercised his right of first refusal to assume majority control. The league approved the transaction in October.
Since becoming the controlling owner of the Dodgers in 2012, Walter has overseen one of the most successful runs in modern baseball history, highlighted by sustained postseason contention and three World Series titles (2020, 2024, 2025).
With NBA salary-cap rules preventing a Dodgers-style spending spree on players, league observers believe Walter’s Lakers blueprint will focus on building elite support systems around basketball operations.
Lakers Front Office Reshaping Already Underway
Joey and Jesse Buss, Lakers
GettySiblings Joey and Jesse Buss (in black hat), from left, were kicked out of the Lakers front office.
Early signs of that shift are already visible.
In November, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers parted ways with brothers Joey Buss and Jesse Buss, ending more than two decades of day-to-day Buss family involvement in basketball operations.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin later reported that multiple members of the scouting department were also dismissed as part of the restructuring.
The Buss brothers had been instrumental in talent evaluation and development, playing key roles in identifying players such as Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Ivica Zubac and Max Christie.
Only Reaves remains with the franchise, and he is projected to be in line for a historic contract next summer for an undrafted player or could be the centerpiece of a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade.
Walter’s Broader Sports Vision
Walter’s reach extends far beyond the Lakers.
His sports portfolio includes ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Sparks, Chelsea FC, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, and multiple teams under TWG Motorsports, including Cadillac’s Formula 1 project.
That track record has fueled expectations that Walter will invest aggressively in organizational advantages that create sustained competitiveness rather than short-term fixes.
Pelinka Faces Uncertain Future
While Jeanie Buss remains the Lakers’ team governor for at least five years as part of the sale agreement, scrutiny is increasing around her top basketball hire, Rob Pelinka.
According to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, Pelinka’s standing could hinge on how the remainder of the season unfolds.
“Unless they catch fire in the second half of the year, unless they really come on and make a run in the playoffs, it’s got to be on life support,” one NBA source told Deveney. “If they’re in the play-in again this year, with LeBron James and Luka Dončić on your roster, it’s hard to make excuses at this point.”
The source added that the combination of a new owner and underwhelming results could accelerate change.
“There’s a new owner who isn’t going to sit on his hands,” the source said.
A Franchise-Defining Summer Ahead
With unprecedented financial resources, sweeping authority, and a blueprint borrowed from one of baseball’s most dominant organizations, the Lakers appear headed for a defining offseason.
Whether the transformation delivers immediate results remains uncertain. But around the league, the expectation is clear: the Lakers are no longer content with legacy alone — and the next phase of their evolution is already underway.