What Lies Ahead for the Los Angeles Lakers?

The Los Angeles Lakers have sold their iconic franchise to Mark Walter for a record-setting $10 billion valuation. Walter, currently the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and several other professional sports franchises, will assume the role of new majority owner upon the sale's finalization. So, what will the next 10 years look like for the Lakers?

Since 1979, when Jerry Buss initially bought the Lakers for $67.5 million, this franchise has been among the most winning teams in all of professional sports. Los Angeles has won 12 NBA Championships, including 11 since Buss purchased the team nearly 50 years ago. 

Los Angeles’ current superstar, LeBron James, is reportedly looking to join other teams to contend for an NBA Championship in 2026. James helped bring the Lakers an NBA Championship in 2020, beating the Miami Heat 4-2 in the NBA Finals. 

Luka Doncic was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking blockbuster deal that elevated expectations for the remainder of last season. Ultimately, the Lakers were unable to advance past the First Round of the Western Conference playoffs, losing 4-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

With so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the Lakers’ roster, it’s a great time to explore NBA betting markets. There’s value available in futures markets right now, with the team’s odds to win the 2026 NBA Championship set at +1400 odds. The Lakers are also +900 to win the Western Conference.

Currently, the team’s win total for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season is set at 47.5. This line indicates oddsmakers remain bullish on the Lakers, although it will undoubtedly move down if James does not return next season. 

Moving ownership from the Buss family to Mark Walter could be a positive outcome for Lakers fans who want their team to win more titles. The Dodgers are coming off a World Series win against the New York Yankees and added several star players to make it happen, most notably, Shohei Ohtani. 

Jeanie Buss, the daughter of the late Jerry Buss, will retain a minority ownership stake in the Lakers’ franchise moving forward. She has overseen this team since 2013 and will assume a governing role, effectively managing the team in day-to-day operations once Walter becomes the new majority owner.

Walter is the CEO and chairman of TWG Global and has been a Lakers stakeholder since 2021. Aside from maintaining ownership in the Dodgers’ franchise, the 65-year-old billionaire also has an ownership stake in Chelsea FC, which recently won the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. 

Walter’s Guggenheim Baseball Management group also holds additional ownership stakes in leagues such as the WNBA, with the Los Angeles Sparks, and other auto racing teams. He’s well-versed in acquiring assets and increasing their value by building championship contenders. 

Currently, the Lakers’ roster has enough star talent to be considered a contender. Doncic is the clear-cut superstar at only 25 years old, while Austin Reaves, Dalton Knecht, DeAndre Ayton, and potentially Bronny James could be the core nucleus that wins Los Angeles its 13th NBA Championship. 

The next decade appears to be promising for the Los Angeles Lakers. The sale of the franchise to a proven winner like Mark Walter, combined with current roster construction, should make Lakers fans feel good about the next decade.

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