Jeanie: James has not given any indication of returning to the Lakers; the team’s core is being built around Doncic.

On February 18th Beijing time, Jeanie Buss, one of the current Lakers shareholders, stated that the financial strength of the new majority owner, Mark Walter, will help the team compete with the league’s top franchises. She also mentioned that her late father, Jerry Buss, would have supported this ownership transfer.

“For him, the most important thing was ensuring the Lakers always remained at the pinnacle of the NBA, and to do that, you have to have the resources,” Jeanie said. “Everyone must unite. He would definitely want the Lakers to achieve this because the team is his legacy.”

Although the NBA has a salary cap limiting team spending, teams still have some flexibility if owners are willing to pay luxury taxes. According to basketball data websites, current team spending per season ranges from approximately $154 million to $220 million, with the Lakers ranking seventh in the league at $197 million. Since acquiring the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, Walter has been one of the highest-spending owners in Major League Baseball.

Last year, Jeanie and her family agreed to sell the majority stake of the Lakers to Walter for an estimated $10 billion valuation. ESPN recently reported that serious disputes among the Buss siblings ultimately led to this deal, and Jeanie described the sale as “bittersweet.”

When Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, ownership of the team was left to his six children through a trust.

“All my siblings were involved in this decision,” Jeanie said. “It was all for the Lakers, for the greatness of this team, and for the fans’ expectations. You need resources and direction. You could say each of us has our own views and lives, choosing what we want to do, and for the six of us, this was the best decision.”

The Buss family retained about 15% ownership of the team, and Jeanie agreed to continue managing the Lakers for at least five more years. However, when asked if she would complete the entire term, her response was somewhat reserved.

“That’s my commitment,” she said. “Mark Walter and I are both satisfied with the current arrangement. I look forward to everything going smoothly and achieving success. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Jeanie acknowledged that the past 12 months have been a period of transition for the team — completing the ownership sale and deciding about a year ago to trade star forward Anthony Davis in exchange for Luka Doncic. She stated that the team’s core is now built around Doncic, rather than the 41-year-old star James, who has been the face of the franchise since joining in 2018.

“This partnership will provide us with a stable foundation to continue building the team around Doncic,” Jeanie said. “We are incredibly proud to have him as a Laker. He is a young All-Star deeply loved by the fans.”

James has previously said he is uncertain about continuing to play after this season. Jeanie said that James’s future with the Lakers will be his own choice. However, she sounded doubtful about his return next season — whether due to retirement or joining another team.

“Never say never, but he indeed hasn’t given any sign of coming back,” Jeanie said. “He has the right to decide the direction of his career, and he has always surprised people.”