Remember when Steve Ballmer bought the L.A. Clippers for $2 billion and everyone lost their minds?
Eleven years later, stay in town multiply it by five.
Minority owner Mark Walter has purchased a majority stake in the L.A. Lakers at a valuation of $10 billion. That's a record for any American sports franchise.
The late Dr. Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979 for $67.5 million.
The Buss family had owned 66 percent of the team. Jeannie Buss reportedly plans to continue to continue to serve as the team's governor, which will give her the power to vote on league matters at NBA ownership meetings.
Earlier this year, the Boston Celtics sold at a valuation of $6.1 billion. Last month, a minority stake in the 49ers was sold at a valuation of $8.6 billion.
It's safe to say that controlling interest in any NFL team would generate a valuation of more than $10 billion. Some teams (like the Cowboys) would approach or exceed $15 billion.
The fact that the Lakers were sold at a $10 billion valuation will only make that more likely.
With Dodgers owner Mark Walter becoming the new majority of the Lakers, the team is poised to prioritize wins and championships above everything else. (Emma McIntyre / Getty Images)
For 46 years it’s been a wonderful ride, the sweetest of sagas, the Buss family treating the Lakers like their precocious child, nurturing, embracing, empowering, transforming them into arguably this country’s most celebrated sports franchise.
But it’s time.
It’s time to give their baby to somebody who won’t be burdened by the family ties or deep friendships that have increasingly interfered with the chasing of championships.
It’s time to hand their beloved to somebody with enough money to keep it strong and enough vision to keep it relevant.
It’s time for the Lakers to... become the Dodgers?
Yes! It’s them! They’re here! Welcome, welcome, welcome! Come on in! Make yourself at home! History has been waiting for you!
This is really happening, the majority ownership of the Lakers is really being sold to Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and his TWG Global group at a franchise valuation of $10 billion, making it the richest transaction in sports history.
To Los Angeles sports fans, it’s worth even more.
For the future of professional sports in this city, it’s priceless.
This is the best thing to happen to the Southland’s sports landscape since, well, the last time Walter’s TWG Global group bought something this big.
It was 2012, and they bought the Dodgers, and just look what they’ve done with them.
Since 2013, Walter’s team has been in the playoffs every year, won their division 11 of those 12 years, appeared in four World Series and won two of them.
Since 2013, the Lakers have won one title in their only Finals appearance during that period while making the playoffs only half the time.
Mad respect to the Buss family, who oversaw 11 championships while providing the stage for greats from Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James. But since the death of patriarch Jerry Buss in 2013, the organization has lacked a sustained championship vision and effective championship culture.
Everybody loves Jeanie Buss, who will continue in her role as Lakers governor, but she has grown increasingly out of touch with the demands of the modern game.
Where contending teams are now led by analytics-driven minds, she would rely on old friends like Linda and Kurt Rambis and Rob Pelinka, who became part of the family by being Kobe Bryant’s agent.
Where contending teams increasingly relied on younger players, Buss’ Lakers were always tied to aging superstars, their title hopes crashing around a hobbled Bryant and now buckling under a slowly eroding James.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss with children (clockwise from top left) Jeanie, Johnny, Jim and Janie in 1979. (Gunther / mptvimages.com)
Since Jerry Buss’ death, the vision-less Lakers have wandered through the NBA desert in search of a strong leader who could build for sustained success.
In Walter’s group, they have that leader.
If the Dodgers are any indication, the Lakers are in for the sort of massive facelift that would make even a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon blush.
There will be money poured into the Lakers’ woefully small infrastructure, more money for coaches, more money for scouts, more money for trainers, more money for the amenities at Crypto.com Arena.
Who knows, maybe even more money for a new arena eventually? Don’t scoff, the Dodgers spent more than $500 million just to put a shine on Dodger Stadium, they will dig deep for that fan experience. They will dig deep for everything.
If there’s an insanely expensive but wildly successful general manager candidate out there — former Golden State guru Bob Myers comes to mind — the new Lakers will buy him.
Jeanie Buss attends a game between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena on March 20. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
If there’s an experienced but costly head coaching candidate hanging around, the new Lakers will nab him.
Although they will be somewhat constrained by the salary cap, the new Lakers will go deep into any tax to buy the best players as long as they can retain their draft picks.
The Dodgers are about winning every year, not just the next year, so expect the new Lakers to covet the future as much as the present.
This is good news for young Luka Doncic. This is not such good news for James.
The Buss family always vowed to do whatever it takes to keep James happy and allow him to retire here. The new Lakers won’t be so sentimental. James hasn’t signed on for next season yet, and maybe this change of ownership changes what once appeared to be a slam dunk.
The new Lakers won’t have the rich heart of the old Lakers. But they also won’t have the old destructive loyalties.
The new Lakers will be only about winning, something Jerry Buss understood and amplified, something which has been sadly lost since his passing.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Trophy after the team's 1980 NBA championship victory. (NBAE / Getty Images)
The Buss family was good for Los Angeles, and their stewardship of one of this city’s crown sports jewels should be celebrated.
But it’s time, and it’s perfect that their neighbors down the road have decided to be the ones to spruce up the place.
Before this sale, the only thing the Dodgers and Lakers shared occurred after victories, when both team’s sound systems would blare, “I Love L.A.”
Now they share a championship bank account, a championship vision, and a championship commitment.
FREE AGENTS: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW; Arthur Kaliyev, LW; Will Cuylle, LW (RFA); Adam Edstrom, LW; Calvin de Haan, D; K'Andre Miller, D (RFA); Zac Jones, D (RFA); Matthew Robertson, D (RFA)
NEEDS: Depth on defense; bottom-six forwards
SABRES FIT? The Rangers were a dysfunctional mess last season, falling out of the playoffs completely after being the best regular-season team in the league in 2023-24. Rangers GM Chris Drury somehow got a vote of confidence from team owner James Dolan, and the first move he made this off-season was to trade veteran winger Chris Drury. This tracks with last year's moves to get rid of veterans (including defensemen Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren) as well as youngsters Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil.
That said, the Rangers clearly aren't rebuilding -- at least, not yet -- as they acquired star center J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks, and veteran D-man Will Borgen from the Seattle Kraken in trades last year. The Rangers have a decent amount of salary cap space, but much of it will have to go to D-man K'Andre Miller, an RFA who will have plenty of alternatives if someone tries to offer-sheet him and take him out of Manhattan.
So, could there be a match with the Sabres? Probably not, although we could see a scenario in which Buffalo trades defenseman Bowen Byram to the Blueshirts in return for the rights to K'Andre Miller. As an RFA, Miller has no no-trade or no-move protection, so he couldn't veto a move to the Sabres. And if Buffalo can get into the playoff picture next year, Miller may be persuaded to sign long-term with the Sabres.
Otherwise, there really isn't a match for what Buffalo has to offer. The Rangers have too many veterans who do have no-trade or no-move clauses, so that all but completely rules out the Sabres from landing a talent like center Mika Zibanejad or center Vincent Trochek, both of who would assuredly help the Sabres get into the post-season.
Still, landing K'Andre Miller should be very tempting for Buffalo. At 25 years old, Miller isn't yet in his prime, and he could be a terrific second-pair blueliner for the Sabres. His salary last season was $3.87-million, and his modest production of 20 assists and 27 points means his asking price on a new contract isn't going to hamper Buffalo's financial picture. Indeed, a slight raise for Miller close to or right at the $5-million range would be very affordable for the Sabres. And given that Drury has been unable to sign Miller at this point, you have to figure his days as a Ranger are over.
The other option that's more of a longshot is Rangers left winger Alexis Lafreniere, who is just about to start his first year of a contract extension paying him $7.45-million per season. Lafreniere had a disappointing season of 17 goals and 45 points last year -- a major drop from his 28-goal, 57-point season in 2023-24. And like K'Andre Miller, the 23-year-old Lafreniere also doesn't have any no-move or no-trade protection.
Can the Sabres step up and offer, say, winger Alex Tuch for Lafreniere? It's true Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams would be giving up more offensive production in surrendering Tuch, but considering that Tuch will be a UFA at the end of next season, dealing him now for a cost-controlled asset like Lafreniere might be better financially for the Sabres in the long run.
Moreover, if Lafreniere bounces back with a better performance akin to the one he had two years ago, suddenly the loss of Tuch's offense wouldn't be so bad. Remember, Lafreniere was the first-overall pick in 2020 for good reason; he's still got all kinds of time to realize his potential, and he could be doing that with Buffalo.
In sum, the Rangers and Sabres probably won't be hooking up on a major trade this summer. But Sabres fans can dream of situations in which Buffalo and the Blueshirts collaborate on a deal that shakes up the chemistry of both teams. And acquiring K'Andre Miller or Lafreniere certainly would change the mix in Western New York.
The Philadelphia Flyers do not have the best early odds of winning the Stanley Cup in 2026, but how their odds rank compared to some other teams around the NHL might come as a shock.
The Flyers, who finished with the fourth-worst record in the NHL this season at 33-39-10, are not projected to win the Stanley Cup next year by any means, but oddsmakers are clearly expecting Philadelphia, led by new head coach Rick Tocchet and star sophomore forward Matvei Michkov, to take a step forward in 2025-26.
According to FanDuel, the Flyers have +8000 odds to win the 2026 Stanley Cup, which are notably only the 13th-lowest odds and ahead of Metropolitan Division rival Columbus Blue Jackets (+8500), the Anaheim Ducks (+10000), the Montreal Canadiens (+10000), Boston Bruins (+11000), and Buffalo Sabres (+14000).
In the case of the Flyers, this is an implied probability of roughly 1.23%.
Fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins (+28000), Seattle Kraken (+31000), Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks (+50000) can safely flush next season down the toilet if the opinions of oddsmakers mean anything.
The Flyers placing ahead of both the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets is a considerable surprise, given that the Canadiens made the playoffs with a 40-31-11 record and 91 points and the Blue Jackets narrowly missed out at 40-33-9 and 89 points.
Meanwhile, the Flyers finished dead-last in the Eastern Conference with a measly 76 points and just 21 regulation wins.
Sure, the Canadiens could use some work up front to help ease the burden on captain Nick Suzuki and Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, but they're about to have a full offseason and regular season of Ivan Demidov.
As for the Blue Jackets, they have an outstanding young core of forwards like Kirill Marchenko, Dmitry Voronkov, Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Gavin Brindley in addition to superstar defenseman Zach Werenski and prospects like Jet Greaves, Corson Ceulemans, Cayden Lindstrom, Denton Mateychuk, and Stanislav Svozil.
Even a slight step forward from these young guns, combined with some additions in free agency to smooth over the edges, should easily spell a playoff berth for Columbus.
The Flyers, on the other hand, don't have the No. 1 centers the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets have, and they don't seem to be optimistic about the prospects of landing one via trade this summer, either.
After all, GM Danny Briere has already said that teams are not giving away centers outside of fourth-line guys, and some of those same teams are also jockeying with the Flyers to move up in the 2025 NHL Draft order.
So long as Briere and the Flyers remain stagnant, they have no chance of making good on these odds, as dismal as they may already be.
Ange Postecoglou was sacked as Tottenham manager 16 days after leading them to victory in the Europa League final [Getty Images]
BBC Sport tracks all the manager ins and outs in the Premier League, Scottish Premiership, Women's Super League, English Football League and National League.
All of the managerial movements for June will appear below.
The Lakers may be the biggest team brand in the NBA, with the most globally recognized star on the team, but in many ways, they were a throwback — the Lakers were the Buss family business. The children of legendary owner Jerry Buss run the team as their primary source of income, all have roles in operating the team, and they own the team through a shared trust (they own 66% of the Lakers). However, without a massive outside income source, it has become increasingly difficult for them to keep up financially in spending off the court with private equity owners or individuals like cross-town Clippers owner Steve Ballmer (net worth $151 billion). For example, the Lakers have likely the smallest scouting staff in the NBA; it was just not where they spent money. The cost of keeping up has been getting harder for a team that has to turn a profit to feed a lot of mouths.
That's why the Buss family is selling a majority stake of the Lakers to Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a franchise valuation of $10 billion, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by others, including NBCLA.
The Buss family will retain 15% ownership, at least for a time, according to the report. That is enough for Jeanie Buss to stay on as governor under the NBA's bylaws, and she is expected to do so. This sale has to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors (the other owners).
This sale price sets the record for an NBA team, topping the $6.1 billion valuation of the Boston Celtics for their sale earlier this year (that sale is still being finalized).
Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke for $67.5 million, and that sale included the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Forum (now owned by the Clippers' Ballmer and is a popular concert venue). The Lakers have won 11 NBA championships since that purchase and have consistently featured some of the best and most popular players in the sport, including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and now LeBron James.
Jeanie and the five other Buss children own the Lakers through a complex trust set up by Jerry Buss before he passed in 2013, and they could only sell if the majority of them agreed to the deal. While there had been rumors that Jim Buss — who was head of basketball operations for the team but was ultimately pushed aside by Jeanie as fans grew restless — and at least one other family member had wanted to sell for a while. The way the trust is rumored to be structured, the shares owned by the Buss children do not automatically pass on to their children (if one Buss family member passes, the split goes from six to five). With several of those Buss family members older than 60, it may have factored into the decision.
Walter is the CEO of TWG Global, a private equity company, as well as the co-founder and CEO of Guggenheim Partners. He is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (with Guggenheim) as well as the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Chelsea FC of the English Premier League, the Cadillac Formula 1 racing team (as well as other auto racing teams) and the Professional Women's Hockey League. He bought a share of the Lakers in 2021 — 27% of the team from Philip Anschutz — and with that, he was given the first right of refusal should the Buss family choose to sell.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers legend and part-owner of the Dodgers (and often the face of that management team), told Lakers fans to celebrate.
Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike -…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the @Lakers legacy and tradition of winning - Mark Walter, my business partner and friend! Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
What Walter has shown with the Dodgers is a willingness to spend. While the NBA salary cap structure — especially now with its luxury tax aprons — is not going to allow Walter to buy players in quite the same way he has with the Dodgers, there are certainly places he can spend off the court such as the scouting mentioned above. The Lakers do not own Crypto.com Arena — AEG, the Anschutz Entertainment Group run by Philip Anschutz does, and he also owns the NHL's Kings — but have a lease that runs through 2041.
After a disappointing loss to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night that saw the Mets make a slew of costly mistakes, New York will look to rebound on Wednesday in the middle game of the three-game series.
Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza touched on the loss and also gave updates on a few of his injured players.
Following a throwing blunder in the bottom of the 10th inning that led to the game-winning run to score, the 23-year-old catcher is not in Wednesday's starting lineup. In Alvarez's place, Torrens is behind the plate and batting sixth against LHP Chris Sale.
With both catchers essentially splitting duties so far this season after Alvarez began the season on the IL with a hamate bone fracture, the decision to bench the young backstop isn't necessarily due to his misplay. However, Mendoza did say that both players will continue to get playing time even with Torrens struggling offensively.
"I’ve been saying it, they’re both gonna play," the skipper said. "So I just thought getting Luis in there, it needs to continue to be that way. Alvy will play, Luis will play and I just thought today was a good day for Luis to be in the lineup."
For what it's worth, Alvarez took responsibility for his gaffe after last night's game and was clearly upset about it. Nevertheless, his production offensively and defensively hasn't been great this season and he went 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored in the loss.
The down year by Alvarez thus far is disappointing after he burst onto the season in 2023 with 25 home runs during his rookie season. He has just five extra-base hits in 115 at-bats this season and is hitting .235 with a .636 OPS.
Regardless, Mendoza has seen some signs that the youngster could be on the right track.
"He’s on time for the fastball," Mendoza said. "Yesterday I didn’t see that, in particular, but I’m gonna go back to the past week where I feel like he’s hitting the ball in the air, he’s hitting the ball hard – something that we didn’t see early on when he got back from the injury.
"I like some of the takes, some of the breaking balls that he’s taking, so I do feel that he’s – I know he’s working and it hasn’t been easy for him, but the one thing with Alvy is he’s very positive and he’ll continue to grind through it."
Despite leaving him out of the lineup, Mendoza knows how important Alvarez is to the team and that to get him out of the funk he's been in, he needs to be in lineup.
"In Alvy’s case, the way you’re gonna fight through it is by being in the lineup. You can hit outside and hit early and things like that, but he knows how important he is for this team and we know how important he is and we’re gonna need him, obviously. So, we’ll continue to help him and work with him. He’s got a lot of potential," Mendoza said.
On the injury front
Frankie Montas (right lat strain) is making his sixth rehab start on Wednesday and his fourth for Triple-A Syracuse.
It hasn't gone well for the right-hander who signed with New York during the offseason, owning a 13.17 ERA (2.34 WHIP) in just 13.2 innings. In his last start, Montas managed to only go 1.2 innings and allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and a walk.
The Mets are hoping for a better performance on Wednesday as they near the deadline to make a decision with the 32-year-old.
"Let’s see how he feels after the outing today," Mendoza said. "We wanna see execution, obviously, and then we have a decision. We gotta talk to him, but we’re approaching the deadline where we gotta make a decision on him."
When asked if by a decision he meant using Montas as a reliever or starter with the big league club, Mendoza clarified.
"No, no like activate him," he said. "Because first he’s gotta be 100 percent healthy, which knock on wood he keeps saying he’s fine. So we just gotta wait, get through today, see how he comes back tomorrow and the next day and then we have a decision."
With the Mets in need of starting pitching help after injuries to Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill, it's a bit telling that the team doesn't seem eager to activate Montas.
Meanwhile, after DHing in his first rehab start, Mark Vientos (hamstring) is off on Wednesday. He's scheduled to play third base soon and New York would like to see him play back-to-back games in the field before proceeding.
As for another third baseman, Brett Baty is feeling better after missing Tuesday's game with a groin injury, but Mendoza and the Mets still need to wait and see.
"He’s better, but I gotta see how he goes during BP today and ground balls and things like that," the skipper said. "But early on when I saw him he said he was feeling a little bit better.”
Who's starting Friday?
The Mets still don't know, but are working through it and will likely have a better idea tomorrow.
What they do know is whoever pitches on Friday will give them length -- it will not be a bullpen game. Whether the pitcher starts the game or comes in after an opener like New York has done a couple of times this season remains to be seen, although the latter hasn't been discussed.
"We’ll see," Mendoza said. "Get through today, tomorrow, but we haven’t talked about a potential opener yet, so we gotta see what kind of shape we’re in going into that game."
Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman (left knee inflammation) made his second rehab start with Double-A Somerset on Wednesday night and was dominant through the first three innings, retiring the first 10 New Hampshire Fisher Cats he faced, including four strikeouts.
Things then got a little messy for the right-hander in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Stroman struck out the leadoff hitter, but gave up a double to Charles McAdoo, who stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher Rafael Flores. He walked a man, let up a single, and threw a wild pitch to give NH runners on second and third base.
The veteran was pulled after the wild pitch, ending his night after 55 pitches (34 strikes) and 3.1 innings. Overall, he allowed two earned runs on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
Coincidentally, Stroman also tossed 3.1 innings in his first rehab outing on June 11, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.
The 34-year-old last pitched in the big leagues on April 11 and had struggled prior to the injury, owning an 11.57 ERA with just seven strikeouts over 9.1 IP across three starts.
Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, will purchase a majority ownership stake in the Lakers. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
The Los Angeles Lakers, a family-run business since Jerry Buss purchased the franchise in 1979, will be sold to Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter and TWG Global, according to multiple people briefed on the deal.
The deal is expected to occur with the Lakers’ valuation being about $10 billion — a record for a professional sports franchise.
Walter will now lead the city’s two premier professional sports teams.
Control of the Lakers went into a family trust after Buss died in 2013, with daughter Jeanie Buss operating as the team’s governor. The structure of the trust meant the majority of Buss’ six children — Johnny, Jim, Jeanie, Janie, Joey and Jess — would need to agree for a sale to occur.
The Lakers didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The sale was viewed as a massive surprise in NBA circles.
Jeanie Buss reportedly will remain governor under the terms of the sale. All controlling governors representing teams in league meetings need to own at least 15% of the franchise to serve. The Buss family owned 66%.
The sale will end family-run control of the Lakers, who have achieved incredible success — 11 NBA championships earned by some of the league’s most iconic figures, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James — under Buss and his children’s leadership.
“I know that my sister Jeanie would have only considered selling the Lakers organization to someone she knows and trusts would carry on the Buss legacy, started by her father Dr. Buss. Now she can comfortably pass the baton to Mark Walter, with whom she has a real friendship and can trust,” Magic Johnson wrote in a post on X.
“She’s witnessed him build a winning team with the Dodgers and knows that Mark will do right by the Lakers team, organization, and fans! Both are extremely intelligent, visionaries, great leaders, and have positively impacted the greater Los Angeles community! I love both my sister @JeanieBuss and my business partner Mark Walter.”
In March, Bill Chisholm purchased the Boston Celtics from Wyc Grousbeck for $6.1 billion. Mark Cuban sold his control of the Dallas Mavericks late in 2023 for $3.5 billion.
And earlier that year, Marc Lasry sold the Milwaukee Bucks for $3.5 billion. Grousbeck and Cuban were two of Jeanie Buss’ closest confidantes among league ownership.
Walter and Todd Boehly became the Lakers’ largest minority shareholders in 2021 when they bought 27% of the franchise — a stake previously held by Phil Anschutz.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful and admired franchises in sports history,” Walter said in a news release at the time. “I have watched the organization grow under Jeanie’s leadership and couldn’t be more excited to partner with her and the entire management team. I am committed to supporting the franchise’s iconic status by continuing to bring together culture, community and entertainment to Lakers’ fans.”
Walter was a relatively anonymous billionaire in 2012, when Johnson and Stan Kasten were the marquee partners in the purchase of of the Dodgers for $2 billion, then the largest price paid for a Major League Baseball team.
Critics scoffed at the purchase price, but Walter and Boehly then negotiated a record $8.35-billion local television deal with Time Warner Cable. Sportico this year valued the Dodgers at $7.73 billion and estimated that they generated $1 billion in revenue last year, highlighted by the global economic boost they gained from signing Shohei Ohtani to a record $700-million contract.
The Dodgers also won the World Series last year, their second championship and fourth World Series appearance in the last eight years. In the 13 seasons since Walter and his group bought the Dodgers, the team has posted a winning record every year. In that same 13-season span, the Lakers have one championship, one NBA Finals appearance and six winning records.
After buying the Dodgers, Walter and Boehly explored buying AEG, the entertainment giant that owns the Kings and Crypto.com Arena. Walter subsequently bought the Sparks, invested in the Lakers and launched a professional women’s hockey league in which the championship trophy is called the Walter Cup.
If the Dodgers’ purchase is any indication, Walter might not make an immediate flurry of changes with the Lakers. After he bought the Dodgers, he retained general manager Ned Colletti through the 2014 season before replacing him with Andrew Friedman.
The beloved O'Malley family sold the Dodgers before the turn of the century, saying the economics of professional sports had exploded beyond the means of families with no other significant source of income.
Under Walter, the Dodgers have not only raised their payroll to record levels but invested heavily in areas that they believe help deliver a winner, from a vaunted analytics department to dietitians for their major and minor league players and expanded clubhouses with the latest in hydrotherapy. The owners also have invested more than $500 million into renovating Dodger Stadium, adding modern amenities to a 63-year-old ballpark.
The Lakers, whose minority owners include Los Angeles Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, are entering a critical moment in the franchise’s history. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has a $53-million player option that he needs to either accept or decline by June 29. If he declines, he’d be an unrestricted free agent.
The team also is trying to sign Luka Doncic, who it acquired in a shocking trade last February, to a massive contract extension functionally making him the future face of the franchise. He’s eligible to sign an extension on Aug. 2.
Times staff writer Jack Harris contributed to this report.
This is Luongo’s second Stanley Cup in as many years, as he and the Panthers also won against the Oilers in the 2023–24 season. Prior to that, he and the Canucks came only a hair away from their first in franchise history with a seven-game Stanley Cup Finals series in 2011. Cory Schneider was his goaltending partner at the time and, ironically enough, interviewed Luongo on the ice after his second Stanley Cup win.
“It’s surreal, does not feel real. Last year was crazy, this year even crazier, to do it again,” Luongo told NHL Network analysts and former players Schneider and Brian Boyle. “When the time came they stepped up and they played the way we know how to play, an unbelievable performance.”
Energy from the home crowd can be a big part of a team’s playoff wins, as seen from the Abbotsford Canucks’ home-ice success. Luongo, who banged the drum for the Panthers ahead of Game 6, jokingly noted how he was “more nervous for the drum than the game.”
Now that the dust has settled around Game 6, one of the most polarizing images to come from the Panthers’ celebrations the night before was a photo of Luongo and Brad Marchand posted from the former’s X account. Marchand, a member of the 2011 Boston Bruins team that took Vancouver to seven games, was acquired by the Panthers at the 2025 Trade Deadline for a conditional second-round draft pick that has now become a first.
“Bill [Zito] and the team, we get together and work together as a team, we identify guys, we talk it over, we have disagreements, but at the end of the day we always find some guys that we think fit the way we play — we call them Panthers,” Luongo told Schneider and Boyle of Florida’s trade deadline acquisitions and how they have been able to fit seamlessly with the team.
Now that the Stanley Cup has finally been awarded for the 2025 season, all teams will shift their focus onto the oncoming NHL Entry Draft and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
The Lakers will be sold at a $10bn valuation, according to reports. Photograph: Harry How/Getty Images
The Buss family is entering an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a $10bn valuation, ESPN reported on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for one of the NBA’s most influential families.
Mark Walter, the CEO and chair of holding company TWG Global, is set to take the majority ownership under the agreement, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania said in a post on X. Walter was already a minority owner in the Lakers and is also primary owner and chair of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, and the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.
The Lakers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The late Jerry Buss bought the Lakers in 1979 and turned it into one of the most popular and valuable franchises in all of professional sports, winning five championships during their now-iconic “Showtime” era in the 1980s.
His daughter, Jeanie Buss, took over as principal owner after Jerry Buss died in 2013, making her one of the most powerful women in sports. The modern-day Lakers have continued to attract big stars with mixed success, including recently with LeBron James, with whom the team won the 2020 NBA title. This year, the team swung a blockbuster trade for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić.
Jeanie Buss will stay on as governor after the sale, Charania reported.
The Devils made their first big move of the offseason Wednesday, trading veteran forward Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
New Jersey now has seven picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: two second-round picks (NJ and Edmonton via Utah), one third-round pick (Vegas), two fourth-round picks (NJ and Nashville), and two sixth-round picks (NJ and San Jose). The draft begins on Friday, June 27 and goes through Saturday, June 28.
Haula, 34, was entering the final year of his three-year contract ($3.15 million AAV). Over three seasons with the Devils, he totaled 41 goals and 56 assists (97 points) with 140 penalty minutes across 227 games. He was originally a seventh-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2009 NHL Draft and spent time with them, the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Predators, and Boston Bruins before being acquired by NJ in the Pavel Zacha trade in 2022.
The forward recorded 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) over 51 games during his first stint with Nashville in the shortened 2020-2021 NHL season.
Hanzel, 22, was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He was then acquired by the Predators in March 2024 and spent the 2024-2025 season with the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), registering two penalty minutes over four games with Milwaukee and three goals and 19 assists (22 points) with 28 penalty minutes for Gwinnett.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Hanzel was part of the Seattle Thunderbirds' WHL championship-winning team in 2023. He amassed 149 points (39 goals and 110 assists) in 218 games with Seattle over four seasons, plus 35 points (seven goals and 28 assists) over 41 playoff games.
It's Wednesday, June 18, and the Astros (42-31) take on the Athletics (30-45). Framber Valdez is slated to take the mound for Houston against Luis Severino for the Athletics.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Astros at Athletics
Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Time: 10:05PM EST
Network/Streaming: NBCSCA, Space City Home Network
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Astros at the Athletics
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Moneyline: Astros (-162), Athletics (+136)
Spread: Astros -1.5
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Astros at Athletics
Pitching matchup for June 18, 2025: Framber Valdez vs. Luis Severino
Astros: Framber Valdez, (7-4, 3.10 ERA) Last outing (Chicago White Sox, 6/12): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 7 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 12 Strikeouts
Athletics: Luis Severino, (2-6, 4.47 ERA) Last outing (Kansas City, 6/13): 7.2 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 1 Strikeouts
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Astros at Athletics
The Astros' record in their last 5 games stands at 4-1
The Over is 23-14 in the Athletics' home games this season
The Athletics have covered in 4 of their last 5 games for a profit of 1.59 units
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Astros and the Athletics
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Astros and the Athletics:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Houston Astros on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Athletics at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
