Mark Walter has agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion, completing the transaction roughly a year after acquiring the franchise for $10 billion. However, Walter is expected to retain control of the Los Angeles Dodgers despite the Lakers sale, according to reporting from The Athletic.
Walter and Guggenheim Partners purchased the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in 2012 and have overseen considerable organizational success since then, including multiple World Series titles and sustained regular-season performance that has established the franchise as baseball’s premier operation.
A significant complication in any potential future sale of the Dodgers centers on superstar player Shohei Ohtani. His $700 million contract, signed in December 2023, contains a “key man” clause permitting him to opt out and enter free agency should Walter or baseball operations president Andrew Friedman depart the organization. Ohtani, who signed the deal partly to maintain continuity with both executives, has indicated such a clause serves as a protective measure for organizational stability. The Athletic reported that Ohtani is “unlikely” to exercise the opt-out if circumstances change.
Ohtani, 32, is currently in his third season with the Dodgers. He has contributed 26 home runs and a .929 OPS as a hitter this season while posting a 1.79 ERA over 85 ⅔ innings as a pitcher, though knee and biceps injuries have sidelined him from pitching since July 3. The player has also generated substantial commercial value for the organization, with hundreds of millions in sponsorship deals accompanying his arrival.
Team president Stan Kasten stated Wednesday that “there are no changes” with the Dodgers in light of the Lakers sale. Walter is currently subject to a federal investigation involving alleged improper disclosure of billions in loans, with the FBI and Securities Exchange Commission conducting a joint inquiry.
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