The Los Angeles Lakers have long been considered one of the true premier franchises in all of sports with a global fanbase and some of the most recognizable superstars in the world having worn the purple and gold. And the franchise’s sale to TWG Global CEO and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter only further proves that point.
The Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to Walter for a $10 billion valuation. That is an absolutely massive number, but one that makes sense considering the brand that the Lakers possess. It also gives the Lakers another chip in the never-ending rivalry with the Boston Celtics.
The Lakers’ $10 billion valuation blows away the $6.1 billion that the Celtics sold for just a few months ago, making it the largest franchise sale in NBA history. Here is a list of the rest of the biggest sales, via Spotrac:
Largest #NBA Franchise Sales
(previous purchase price)#Lakers: $10B ($67.5M)#Celtics: $6.1B ($360M)#Suns: $4B ($401M)#Nets: $3.3B ($200M)#Rockets: $2.2B ($85M)#Clippers: $2B ($12.5M)#Jazz: $1.6B ($14M)#Timberwolves: $1.5B ($88M)#Raptors: $1.3B ($467M)#Knicks: $1.1B…— Spotrac (@spotrac) June 19, 2025
Any time the Lakers can beat the Celtics in anything it is a great feeling. But for the valuation to be that much greater than any other in the NBA is truly shocking as many of these sales weren’t too long ago. The Celtics sale was finalized just a couple of months ago, while the Phoenix Suns were sold in 2023. In fact, this Lakers sale is not only the biggest in NBA history, but in all of sports period surpassing the Celtics and Washington Commanders of the NFL.
It is hard to imagine any NBA team coming close to this number in a sale as the Lakers are just a franchise unlike any other. Perhaps if the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees were to get sold anytime soon could a valuation like this be seen again but until that happens, the Lakers stand alone.
Mark Walter chose to keep Jeanie Buss on as Lakers Governor
Even with the sale of the Lakers occurring, there won’t be a massive change in dynamic throughout the franchise as Jeanie Buss will be remaining on as team Governor. And this idea apparently came from new owner Mark Walter himself.
Jeanie’s role within the franchise will not change and this was put into writing as part of the sale. This will allow the Lakers to maintain continuity throughout the ownership transfer process and hopefully prevent the occurrence of those big moves and changes that often come when new owners buy teams and try to make an immediate impact.
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