Jeanie Buss’ Lakers Future Comes Into Focus After Bob Iger’s Latest Comments

The Los Angeles Lakers’ incoming owner addressed Buss’ five-year agreement while leaving the door open for changes under the franchise’s new regime.

Feb 22, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss watches at unveiling of statue of former Lakers coach Pat Riley at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, the franchise headed in a drastically different direction under a new owner with a passionate vision for what he believed the team could accomplish in one of the biggest markets in the United States.

With the Buss family at the helm, the Lakers went on to win 11 NBA titles, with some of the best players in league history helping lift championship banners into the rafters, including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

That incredibly successful run by the Buss family as majority owners came to an end last year, when the team was sold to Los Angeles Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter for a then-record-setting $10 billion, officially beginning a new era for the Lakers.

Longtime Lakers governor Jeanie Buss, however, was promised to keep her role for at least the next five years, securing her long-term future with the franchise.

However, on Wednesday, the storied NBA franchise headed in another direction once again, with Walter selling the team to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner for a record-setting $12.5 billion, which cast doubt on the futures of Jeanie Buss and others within the revamped organization.

Jeanie Buss’ Five-Year Agreement Remains Intact With New Ownership

During an interview with Khobi Price of The California Post, Iger made it clear that Buss’ five-year agreement won’t change.

“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger said. “And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”

Jeanie’s future with the team was one of the major questions that arose after this regime change, just as her future was in flux after Walter purchased the team last year, before it became clear she wasn’t going anywhere for the next half-decade.

Jeanie Buss Reacts to Luka Doncic’s Comments About Lakers’ Ownership Change

After the news broke that the Lakers were being sold once again, superstar Luka Doncic didn’t waste any time addressing the regime change in Los Angeles. 

Doncic took to social media to make it clear that the Lakers “mean everything” to him and that he is dedicated to winning a championship for the franchise, a message praised by Jeanie Buss shortly thereafter.

Perfectly said 💛💜 https://t.co/f7GL4tbG8n

— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) August 12, 2026

With Buss’ future secured again and Doncic on board with the new ownership, attention turns to general manager Rob Pelinka and all the new front-office additions made by Walter.

It remains to be seen what direction Iger and Kushner plan to go in from here, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see some more drastic changes made this summer.

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