WHY JEANIE BUSS SELLING LAKERS IS DIFFERENT FROM MARK CUBAN

With Jeanie Buss’ selling of majority ownership with the Lakers, her role is expected to be different than Mark Cuban’s after Mavericks sale.

The NBA world was greeted with shocking news on Wednesday when it was announced that the Buss family would be selling their majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers’ sale was valued at $1o million and majority ownership would belong to Mark Walter, the CEO and chairman of TWG Global. But even after the Lakers’ sale, Jeanie Buss still plans to have a major role within the organization.

While Jeanie Buss will no longer hold majority ownership following the sale of the Lakers, she is expected to remain as team governor and oversee day-to-day operations, as per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Buss’ role with the team is supposed to differ from Mark Cuban’s role after he sold majority ownership of the Dallas Mavericks, although it’s unclear how that would be handled.

Cuban was reportedly supposed to maintain a similar role with the Mavericks, but it never happened and the team traded franchise star Luka Doncic, a move that Cuban has said he would have never done.

In the Lakers’ case, Walter had been a minority owner of the team since 2021, and reportedly Buss maintaining control of day-to-day operations was always part of a potential sale agreement. The Buss family has owned the Lakers since 1979 when Jerry Buss first purchased the franchise. Under the Buss family, the Lakers have won 11 NBA championships with the most recent coming in 2020.

With LeBron James’ potential retirement sometime on the horizon, Walter and the Lakers appear primed for the future with Doncic as the new franchise player. General manager Rob Pelinka is tasked with building a contending roster around Doncic following the team’s disappointing elimination in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Among the top items of business for the Lakers this offseason is James’ contract. The Lakers star can opt into his deal for next season, or he can opt out and sign a new contract with the team.

- David Yapkowitz

LAKERS MULL HISTORIC LEBRON-BRONNY GAME

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick already has started thinking about LeBron James and Bronny James becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history to share the court together this season, but he said he will involve both players when it comes to putting a plan in place for when and how that moment happens.

"We obviously have talked about it as a staff and we've gotten into some specifics of what that might look like," Redick said Wednesday during a joint news conference with Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka. "But we haven't committed to anything. And obviously, there's a discussion to be had once we're all together with Bronny and LeBron, too. They should be a part of that discussion as well."

LeBron is 39 and entering his 22nd season. Bronny is 19 and entering his rookie year after L.A. drafted him in the second round (No. 55 overall) after he played one season at USC.

While the regular season doesn't begin until Oct. 22, when the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves, Pelinka said the team already has seen a glimpse of the James bloodline in action during a pickup game at the practice facility this week.

"[Bronny] got switched onto LeBron, and LeBron took him baseline, up and under off the glass," Pelinka said. "The words exchanged afterward were probably more challenging than anything else."

LeBron shared some mild-mannered trash talk Wednesday on his Instagram account, posting Pelinka's quote about the father-son pickup sequence and writing, "Great defense. Better O."

Redick, entering his first season on the sideline after leaving behind a burgeoning broadcasting and podcasting career, did not sound fazed by the additional assignment of managing the James family while also the team at large.

"I don't look at it as a challenge," Redick said. "It's unique from any other challenge of coaching a player or coaching a relationship. Bronny, I feel very fortunate that I get to coach him because he's young and he's hungry, and he's got a lot of inherent skill sets that we can really mold into a really good NBA player. On top of that, he's a fantastic kid. He's extremely coachable. He's got the right spirit and energy every single day. So ... it's not something I've really thought of as a challenge."

The bigger challenge than how to find time for his best player and a rookie who figures to spend a lot of time in the G League together is how to keep the Lakers competitive in a crowded Western Conference field.

Following a first-round playoff exit after earning the No. 7 seed with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament, L.A. is largely returning the same team.

And while the time off has allowed Gabe Vincent and second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino to heal and be ready to report to next week's training camp fully healthy, according to Pelinka, there are still injuries affecting the roster.

Jarred Vanderbilt underwent procedures on his feet in the offseason, Pelinka revealed Wednesday. He had a midfoot injury in his right foot addressed and a bone spur in his left heel cleaned up.

"We have a lot of optimism that when the real games start, he'll be available," Pelinka said of Vanderbilt. "Between now and then, there is still about a month, and there are a lot of ramp up steps that need to go well, so hopefully there won't be setbacks."

And backup center Christian Wood continues to be sidelined after having a scope on his left knee earlier this month.

- Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer

BRONNY AND LEBRON TEAM UP IN HISTORIC FIRST FOR NBA

USA TODAY Sports 

 Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, bringing his father LeBron one step closer to fulfilling his long-held dream of playing alongside his son.

Bronny, 19, was informed of the Lakers decision with a phone call from general manager Rob Pelinka while his dad gave an emotional champagne toast to family and friends when they received the news at a restaurant in New York, ESPN reported.

Bronny and LeBron will be the first father-son duo to play in the league at the same time and on the same team and while Bronny is not expected to log significant minutes in his rookie season, it will no doubt be a special moment when they appear together for the first time on the NBA hardwood.

"Family business," the Lakers posted on X alongside old and current pictures of Bronny and LeBron.

Bronny posted a photo of himself in a Lakers jersey on Instagram and Lakers great Magic Johnson congratulated Bronny and called his selection with the 55th pick of the draft a "historic moment" on X.

LeBron was aged 19 and the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year when his now wife Savannah gave birth to LeBron Raymone "Bronny" James Jr. in Akron, Ohio in 2004.

Bronny attracted enormous attention as a high school player at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles and in his senior year was joined by his younger brother Bryce, a 17-year-old who could also potentially play in the NBA one day.

Last summer Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest while training with the University of Southern California (USC) basketball team and was placed in intensive care.

He was cleared to return to the team in November and went on to average 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game playing guard in his lone season with the Trojans.

There was some speculation that another team with a higher pick might swoop in and take Bronny before the Lakers, either to entice LeBron to switch teams or to simply mess with the Lakers plans.

But doing so would risk raising the ire of Rich Paul, the powerful NBA agent who represents Bronny, LeBron and many top tier players.

LeBron, the league's all-time leading scorer and a four-time champion, turns 40 in December and is entering into the 22nd season of his legendary career.

The Lakers, who fell in the first round of the NBA playoffs in April, have their work cut out for them in the competitive Western Conference next season with first time head coach JJ Redick at the helm.

Fans could get their first look at Bronny in action for the Lakers when the NBA's Summer League kicks off in Las Vegas on July 12.

"Watching Bronny suit up for the Lakers during Summer League in Vegas will be must-see TV!," Johnson wrote on X.

- Rory Carroll 

SOURCES: LAKERS HIRING JJ REDICK TO FOUR-YEAR DEAL TO COACH TEAM

 The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a four-year contract with JJ Redick to make him the franchise's next coach, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

Redick, an ESPN NBA analyst who played 15 years in the league, met with Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Buss over the weekend, and conversations on the vacancy continued throughout the week, sources said.

Pelinka offered Redick the job Thursday morning, sources said.

Pelinka became sold on Redick's ability to connect with players and his basketball IQ and believes surrounding Redick with an elite coaching staff will help shorten his learning curve into his first coaching job, sources said.

Redick moved into the forefront of the search a week ago after the Lakers' pursuit of Connecticut coach Dan Hurley was ultimately rebuffed.

The Lakers offered Hurley a six-year, $70 million contract that he turned down early last week, sources said.

As Pelinka sought with Hurley, he still wants a teaching coach and staff who will prioritize the development of young players such as Max Christie, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura and can design a creative approach to featuring Anthony Davis on both ends of the floor, sources said.

Redick has a strong relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, with whom he co-hosts a basketball podcast.

- Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN

LAKERS FIRE HEAD COACH DARVIN HAM AFTER 2 SEASONS

 The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons and a 90-74 regular-season record.

"We greatly appreciate Darvin's efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last year's remarkable run to the Western Conference finals," general manager Rob Pelinka said in a team-released statement.

"We all want to thank Darvin for his dedication and positivity. While this was a difficult decision to make, it is the best course of action following a full review of the season. This organization will remain unwavering in its commitment to deliver championship-caliber basketball to Lakers fans around the world."

The Lakers finished the regular season with a 47-35 mark, good enough for only an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference. They defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in round to earn the No. 7 seed in the playoffs but were bounced by the Denver Nuggets in the opening round, 4-1.

The Nuggets also defeated the Lakers last season in the conference finals on the way to their first NBA title.

All had seemed optimistic in Lakers land when the team roared to the title in the NBA in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Las Vegas on Dec. 9.

But a 3-9 stretch followed, and reports emerged of growing unrest between the players and Ham, 50.

The Lakers hired Ham on June 3, 2022, to replace Frank Vogel following a 33-49 record in 2021-22, two years removed from winning the NBA championship. It was Ham's first NBA head coaching job.

Lakers fans chanted "Fire Darvin Ham" in Game 3 of the series with the Nuggets. After the game, All-Star Anthony Davis said the Lakers "don't know what we're doing on both ends of the floor" for stretches of games.

"It's been a hell of a two years sitting in this seat, I'll tell you that. It's been a hell of a two years," Ham said Monday after the Game 5 loss.

- Reuters 

NBA: LA LAKERS FINED $500,000 FOR PAUL GEORGE TAMPERING

LA Lakers have been fine $500,000 by the NBA for tampering in Paul George's affairs...