By now, it’s no secret that the Buss clan sold the Los Angeles Lakers to a proven businessman in Mark Walter, who’s helped the Dodgers thrive as the organization’s owner.
However, how do the organization’s two superstars, Luka Doncic and LeBron James, feel about the historic decision? ESPN’s Dave McMenamin provided pivotal details on the matter.
“Speaking to people close to both Luka and LeBron James, there's excitement about this move for what it means for this team,” McMenamin reported on Wednesday. “Obviously, having someone like Mike Walter doesn't mean that all of a sudden the salary cap goes out the window.”
“There's a new collective bargaining agreement in place that has punitive measures for teams that overspend. You lose draft picks, you can't make trades and aggregate salaries, etc., when you reach towards the second apron.”
“But what you can do is add extra spending towards your scouting department, your analytics department, your health and wellness staff, etc,. to make it an even more inviting environment, other than just having the 72 and sunny weather that we have out here in Southern California.”
It makes sense why Doncic and James are thrilled about what’s in store for the Lakers, with Walter leading the way.
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Doncic wants to maximize his prime, and James wants to ride off into the sunset with his fifth championship, which are two attainable goals following the Wednesday sale.
If the Dodgers can flourish with Walter (two World Series victories and four World Series appearances since 2012), who’s to say the Lakers can’t return to their glory days and regularly compete for titles with the same owner?
Doncic and James still have a stressful offseason ahead of them, though.
The former Dallas Mavericks forward must decide whether to sign a contract extension with the Lakers, and the 40-year-old forward is still considering retirement, as well as a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
Still, there’s plenty to look forward to in Los Angeles.
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