Sale of Lakers could increase chances of Luka Doncic staying put
Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic in February, there has been a bit of skepticism about his future with the franchise. He can opt out of his contract next summer, and some have wondered if he would want to stick around, especially given the criticism the Buss family has gotten in recent years for the franchise's lack of success.
But on Wednesday, the Buss family agreed to sell a majority share of the Lakers to Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, who has been the Los Angeles Dodgers' primary owner since 2012. If nothing else, money won't be an obstacle to the team bringing in the best people, as much as the NBA's ultra-restrictive salary cap will permit.
According to one source close to Doncic, this change in ownership could increase the likelihood of Doncic staying with the Lakers in the long term.
Via ESPN:
"A source close to Doncic said that Walter's deep pockets, combined with his results with the Dodgers, makes L.A. that much more appealing for the 26-year-old superstar," wrote Tim Bontemps and Dave McMenamin.
Under Walter's ownership, the Dodgers have been about as successful as any other Major League Baseball team in recent years. Since the 2013 season, they have failed to finish first in the National League West just once, and they have won two of the last five World Series championships.
The Dodgers have spared no expense in attracting the best people throughout the organization, and the belief is that the Lakers will start to operate in a similar fashion.
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