The scoreboard still reads 0-0, so this week's biggest Lakers story is unfolding in a conference room, not on the floor. The team's ownership picture keeps shifting even as opening night, October 21 against the Warriors, draws closer.
A Second Handoff
Lakers Nation reported that Adam Silver said the NBA found no red flags when it vetted Mark Walter's purchase of the team, which the Board of Governors approved on October 30, 2025, with the Buss family keeping a 15 percent stake. Walter, in turn, reportedly agreed in August to sell his controlling interest to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion, a deal the league has not yet put to a vote. Jeanie Buss continues to represent the Lakers at Board of Governors meetings as that process plays out.
The Number: $2 Million
Silver Screen and Roll reported the NBA raised its 2027-28 salary cap projection by $2 million, a small bump for a roster that carries a $201.3 million payroll against a $200.4 million tax threshold this season. Dončić leads that number at $49.8 million, with Reaves at $41.2 million and Walker Kessler at $30.2 million behind him. Every dollar of future headroom matters for a team already paying the tax this season.
Redick, Off the Clock
Silver Screen and Roll also reported that JJ Redick is helping rebuild the Palisades Recreation Center after the wildfires that damaged the area, community work that predates his first full season in charge. Redick took over with the rotation still unsettled, and the games that will define his tenure start October 5, when the Lakers open the preseason at Sacramento. The regular season follows on October 21 against the Warriors on ESPN.
When do the Lakers play their season opener?
The Lakers open the regular season on October 21 against the Warriors, broadcast on ESPN, after preseason games starting October 5 at Sacramento.
Is Lakers ownership changing again?
Mark Walter reportedly agreed in August 2026 to sell his controlling interest to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner for $12.5 billion, though the NBA has not yet voted on the sale.
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