Walter and Josh Kushner agree on final terms of $12.5 billion Lakers sale

Lakers owner Mark Walter and Thrive Capital founder Josh Kushner have agreed on the outstanding terms of the team's sale, valued at a record $12.5 billion, according to people with knowledge of the talks. The two met at Walter's Florida home to finalize the deal, which still needs to be signed. The NBA's Board of Governors must review and approve the sale before it becomes official. Former Disney chief executive Bob Iger is partnering with Kushner, who has told Walter he has the funds to close. Walter bought the Lakers from the Buss family in 2025 for a $10 billion valuation.

Left-leaning outlets, led by the Los Angeles Times, lead with the agreed terms and cite unnamed people, then feature the Buss family dispute, where Janie and Joey Buss asked a judge to dismiss Jeanie Buss's claim that the trust cannot sell shares without her consent. The Times also notes Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law. The right-leaning New York Post puts the Florida meeting in its headline, reports that Kushner has raised the money, and focuses on NBA approval timing, comparing the Lakers' approval with the Trail Blazers and Celtics sales and noting Kushner's past Grizzlies stake could speed the process. Its excerpt does not mention the trust dispute or the Trump family tie. Alternative sources Yahoo Sports and ESPN largely match the core terms, with ESPN citing sources and a signing expected soon, and Yahoo highlighting Iger.