The Los Angeles Lakers are changing hands again and this time, we’re talking about a number that is almost impossible to ignore.
Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger are reportedly set to take control of the Lakers in a deal valuing the franchise at $12.5 billion. If completed, it would become the most expensive sports team acquisition ever.
And here’s the crazy part: the Lakers were only sold to Mark Walter’s group last year for a reported $10 billion valuation.
That’s a huge jump in just a matter of months.
Hollywood Meets Basketball
The new ownership group is certainly an interesting one.
Kushner is the founder of Thrive Capital, while Iger is one of the biggest names in the entertainment business after his long career running Disney. The two had already been exploring the possibility of getting involved with a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Instead, they now appear to have landed one of the biggest prizes in all of sports.
The Lakers aren’t just another NBA team. They’re one of the most recognizable sports brands in the world, with a history that includes legends such as Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and, more recently, LeBron James.
Owning the Lakers means owning a piece of one of the biggest basketball brands on the planet.
So What Happens Now?
That’s the question Lakers fans will be asking.
A new ownership group doesn’t automatically mean the basketball operation gets blown up. In fact, Kushner and Iger have reportedly emphasized their respect for the Lakers’ history and their desire to build on the franchise’s existing foundation.
But let’s be honest whenever a team worth $12.5 billion changes hands, people are going to wonder what comes next.
Will the new owners spend aggressively?
Will they make changes to the front office?
Will they have their own ideas about how the Lakers should operate?
Those questions will probably follow them from day one.
The Timing Is Wild
The timing makes this story even more interesting.
Mark Walter’s group only took majority control of the Lakers after a deal with the Buss family that valued the franchise at $10 billion. The NBA approved that transaction in October 2025.
Now, less than a year later, the franchise is reportedly being valued at $12.5 billion.
That’s an increase of roughly $2.5 billion.
Not bad for a franchise that hasn’t even had a full season under its previous ownership group.
For Lakers fans, though, the money is only part of the story.
The bigger question is whether the new owners can keep the Lakers competing at the level fans expect.
Because in Los Angeles, simply being worth billions isn’t enough.
Lakers fans want banners.
And if Josh Kushner and Bob Iger really are taking over, they’re walking into one of the biggest pressure cookers in American sports.
The price tag may be historic.
Now they have to prove they’re worth it.
