Lakers Announce Major Front Office News on Thursday

Amid their success on the court, the franchise made some changes to its front office. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers are reorganizing their basketball operations department and terminating executives Joey Buss and Jesse Buss from their roles, effective immediately, the brothers told ESPN. The brothers said via a statement:

“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.”

The move marks one of the most significant internal shakeups for the club in years, removing two long-time fixtures from the Buss family’s organizational structure. Joey and Jesse had each held wide-ranging responsibilities in scouting, player development, analytics oversight, and personnel evaluation, and were central figures in the franchise’s modern-era front office.

The development arrives months after the team’s ownership shifted hands. Earlier this year, TWG Global — led by Mark Walter — finalized the purchase of a controlling stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation, ending decades of Buss family majority control. Jeanie Buss remains team governor, but the sale signaled a philosophical reset. Given the Buss family’s deep historical role in the Lakers’ championship eras, the change represents a striking departure from the model that guided the organization for generations.

Amid these major changes, Los Angeles will attempt to stay focused as the season continues. Their next matchup comes Sunday against the Jazz, with tipoff set for 8pm ET.