Jesse Buss expected firing, reveals disconnect with Lakers leadership
Jesse Buss addressed the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to fire him and his brother, Joey, from their positions in the front office, saying he wasn't caught off guard by the move.
The Lakers also dismissed most of their scouting staff Thursday, following a decade in which the Buss brothers served as team scouts.
Jesse revealed that there had been a disconnection between himself and the Lakers' primary stakeholders, his sister and longtime owner Jeanie Buss, and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka.
"She's fired everyone," Jesse said of Jeanie's dealings with other family members who have worked for the Lakers, according to The Athletic's Dan Woike and Sam Amick.
He added, "I kind of felt siloed quite a bit, dating back to before the 2023 draft. And I didn't think much of it, but as time went on and there was a lack of communication between not only my sister and I, but the organization as a whole - while I was combating various health issues. I felt like the writing was on the wall.
"The sale of the team happening kind of more or less just solidified it in my mind. And I just, more or less expected it."
The Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to billionaire Mark Walter at a record valuation of $10 billion in June. The deal became official Oct. 30.
"I know at times over the last decade, I haven't necessarily always seen eye-to-eye with management and leadership when it comes to certain decisions that were made," said Jesse, who added that he hasn't spoken to Jeanie or Pelinka in five months, according to Woike.
Jesse pointed to poor communication as the reason his relationship with other Lakers executives deteriorated over the years.
"More or less, you start to hear about what the team is doing through the media as opposed to being told by any member of the front office or organization," he said. "Not having any discussions in regards to player personnel, not communicating outside of my staff about the draft, and ultimately watching decisions made that I wasn't really informed of at the time."
Jesse added, "Oftentimes within the organization, it kind of felt like I was being treated like I was working against them. And, I guess you could say, like an enemy. But the only thing I ever wanted was the most success for this team. The credit, or whoever was involved with those decisions, it didn't really matter as long as it was the best possible thing for the Lakers."
Joey, Jesse, and their scouting department helped the Lakers draft multiple key starters in recent years, including Austin Reaves. Under their watch, Los Angeles also acquired Rui Hachimura - another starter this season - as part of a 2023 trade.
Joey and Jesse's father, Jerry Buss, originally bought the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million. Jeanie assumed control of the iconic NBA franchise in 2017 after a protracted ownership dispute with her brothers. Joey and Jesse will keep their minority ownership shares in the team.