Joey and Jesse Buss: What Happened To Their Roles With The Lakers?

Joey and Jesse Buss are out of the Los Angeles Lakers front office after a major shake-up under new majority owner Mark Walter. The longtime executives confirmed they were fired from their scouting and executive roles after roughly 20 seasons with the franchise. Their sister Jeanie Buss will remain the team’s primary governor while the brothers stay on as minority owners.

The moves are part of a wider reorganization of the Lakers’ basketball operations and scouting departments. The changes follow the record sale of a controlling stake in the franchise earlier this year. The decision ends an era in which Joey and Jesse Buss were central figures in the Lakers’ talent evaluation and player development efforts.

Joey and Jesse Buss and the Front Office Shake-Up Explained

According to multiple reports, Joey and Jesse Buss told ESPN that the Lakers had terminated their front office positions effective immediately. A team spokesperson confirmed to ESPN and other outlets that the organization had “moved on” from the brothers as part of a broader restructuring of basketball operations. The Lakers also dismissed much of their scouting staff on the same day, signaling a deep reset of how the organization evaluates talent.

Joey Buss served as an alternate governor for the Lakers and vice president of research and development. He also ran the South Bay Lakers, the franchise’s G League affiliate, as president and CEO. Jesse Buss held the dual role of assistant general manager and director of scouting, helping lead the team’s draft preparation and year-round prospect work.

Over the past decade, Joey and Jesse Buss built reputations as key architects behind several successful value finds. Outlets such as ESPN, the Los Angeles Times, and NBC Sports have credited their scouting group with identifying and developing players like Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Alex Caruso, Rui Hachimura, and Max Christie. Those hits helped the Lakers stay competitive despite limited draft capital in several seasons.

In a joint statement reported by ESPN and later echoed by other national outlets, the brothers thanked fans and staff for supporting them over twenty seasons. They said they were “extremely honored” to have been part of the organization and admitted they wished their exit had unfolded differently. They also invoked the memory of their late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, saying they wished they could ask him what he would think about how events have played out.

The firings come only months after the Buss family agreed to sell majority ownership of the Lakers to Walter at a valuation of around 10 billion dollars, a record figure for a North American sports franchise. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale in the autumn, with Jeanie Buss guaranteed to remain team governor for at least several years. Under the terms reported by outlets like Reuters and the Associated Press, the Buss family retains a minority stake, and Joey and Jesse’s ownership shares are not affected by their departures from day-to-day roles.

How The Buss Brothers’ Exit Could Shape The Lakers’ Next Era

For the Lakers, the removal of Joey and Jesse Buss is more than a routine front office change. It marks a decisive moment in the transition from a family-led model to an ownership structure centered on Walter and his group. With a new majority owner in control, it is clear that the franchise wants to put its own stamp on scouting, analytics, and roster-building processes.

Reports from national outlets describe this as a broad scouting overhaul rather than an isolated move. The Lakers already had one of the smaller scouting departments in the league. Under Walter, the expectation is that the team will invest more heavily in staff and infrastructure around talent evaluation. That could mean new executives, expanded analytics roles, and a refreshed global scouting network to match the high valuation and ambitions of the franchise.

For fans, the departure of Joey and Jesse Buss carries emotional weight. The Buss name has defined Lakers ownership since Jerry Buss bought the team in 1979. While Jeanie Buss remains in charge on the governance side, the loss of two siblings who grew up in the organization underscores how far the transition has gone. It also revives long running storylines about internal family tensions and differing visions for how the team should be run, even though the Lakers have not publicly commented on any internal disputes.

On the basketball side, the short term impact will be felt most in the scouting and draft process. The next wave of hires will have to quickly align with the front office’s vision around current stars and future assets. With the Lakers under intense pressure to keep contending in a deep Western Conference, any shift in philosophy around youth development, cap strategy, and roster depth will be closely watched.

Joey and Jesse Buss may no longer hold front office titles, but their influence on the modern Lakers is clear from the players they helped bring in. As the franchise pivots into the Mark Walter era, their exit closes a major chapter in the Buss family story. How the Lakers replace them will help define the team’s direction for years to come.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: Who are Joey and Jesse Buss in relation to the Lakers?

Joey and Jesse Buss are the sons of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss and the younger brothers of team governor Jeanie Buss. They spent around two decades in the Lakers organization. They worked in executive and scouting roles that helped shape the roster.

Q2: Why were Joey and Jesse Buss fired from their Lakers roles?

The Lakers are reorganizing their basketball operations and scouting departments under new majority owner Mark Walter. As part of that restructuring, the team terminated Joey and Jesse Buss from their executive positions. The franchise also removed much of its scouting staff at the same time.

Q3: Do Joey and Jesse Buss still own part of the Lakers?

Yes, both Joey and Jesse Buss retain their minority ownership stakes in the team. The Buss family kept a portion of the franchise when it sold majority control to Mark Walter. Their firing affects their jobs, not their equity in the club.

Q4: Is Jeanie Buss still in charge of the Lakers after this shake-up?

Jeanie Buss remains the Lakers’ primary governor under the terms of the sale to Walter. League approval of the transaction included a structure that keeps her in that role for the foreseeable future. She now works alongside a new controlling owner who is reshaping the front office.

Q5: What happens next for the Lakers’ scouting and front office?

The organization is expected to hire new personnel and expand its scouting resources. Walter has a track record of building strong front offices in other sports. The next round of appointments will show how the Lakers plan to balance analytics, scouting, and long term roster building.