Lakers Owner Walter Ousts Buss Brothers, Adds Dodgers Execs

In a significant overhaul of the Los Angeles Lakers front office, new majority owner Mark Walter has dismissed longtime executives Joey and Jesse Buss, along with much of the team's scouting department, while enlisting top Los Angeles Dodgers executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi in advisory capacities to guide the transition.

The changes, announced on Friday, come less than a month after the NBA approved Walter's acquisition of a controlling stake in the Lakers for $10 billion in June, marking the highest valuation for a U.S. professional sports team. The sale shifted majority ownership from the Buss family, which had controlled the franchise since the late Jerry Buss purchased it in 1979. Jeanie Buss, Jerry's daughter and the team's longtime governor, will retain that role for at least the next five years, serving as a link to the organization's storied past. Joey and Jesse Buss, the youngest siblings, had worked in the Lakers' scouting department for over two decades. Joey served as president and CEO of the G League's South Bay Lakers, while Jesse was the director of scouting. Sources indicated the brothers voted against the sale, though they will keep their minority...