Lakers lay off 13 staff under new owner Mark Walter

The Los Angeles Lakers laid off more than a dozen employees across multiple business departments on Wednesday, marking a significant organizational restructuring under new majority owner Mark Walter. The layoffs affected areas including marketing, team communications, content, and corporate partnerships.

The move is part of a broader overhaul that has unfolded over several months since Walter officially acquired the team from the Buss family in October 2025 in a deal valued at $10 billion. The transition ended the Buss family's nearly five-decade control of the franchise. On the business side, this period has already seen the hiring of a new president of business operations, a chief strategy and growth officer, and a vice president of global partnerships.

The atmosphere inside the team's facility was described as difficult on the day of the layoffs. While the organization has cited restructuring as the reason, the human impact of the decision was noted by observers.

Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, brings a reputation for aggressive spending and organizational transformation. His approach with the Lakers appears to mirror a strategy of building a modern, corporate...