The Los Angeles Lakers told Luka Dončić about the sale of the team in advance but didn’t notify LeBron James, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst.
“When the Buss family agreed to sell a majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June 18, Doncic was given a heads-up and notably posted a congratulations on social media afterward,” Shelburne and Windhorst reported Friday. “James was not given the same notice and did not post any public acknowledgement afterward.”
On June 18, majority ownership of the Lakers was sold from the Buss family to a group led by TWG Global CEO Mark Walter for a valuation of approximately $10 billion.
Jeanie Buss is still expected to serve as team governor for at least five more seasons, though.
It’s worth noting that James’ future in Los Angeles wasn’t a certainty at the time of the sale, as he held a $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season. He eventually picked up the option on June 29.
Meanwhile, Dončić has two seasons remaining on his current contract and holds a player option worth roughly $49 million for his 2026-27 campaign. He can also sign an extension with the Lakers during the offseason.
Los Angeles appears poised to build around the 26-year-old Dončić over the 40-year-old James, which has become increasingly clear after the team acquired the younger star in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 2.
Still, it’s a bit surprising that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer wasn’t given an advance notice of the Lakers’ sale while his teammate was.
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