Lakers Sale Shatters Records: The NBA's 14 Most Expensive Transactions

While the NBA's Board of Governors still needs to approve the transaction and Josh Kushner must sell his minority stake in the Heat, a league requirement, the Lakers are on the verge of being sold for a record-breaking $12.5 billion (€10.835 billion). If confirmed, this would represent the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports team in North America, across any sport.

The news, reported Wednesday by ESPN and The New York Times, positions entrepreneur Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Robert Iger as the future owners of the powerful and iconic Los Angeles club. The Lakers boast the second-most NBA titles with 17, trailing only the Celtics (18), but have appeared in significantly more Finals (32).

This potential transaction comes less than two years, specifically 14 months, after Mark Walter, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers (current two-time baseball champions) and CEO of TWG Global, acquired a majority stake in the Lakers from the Buss family for $10 billion (€8.668 billion), which was a record at the time. The new $12.5 billion valuation would significantly surpass the previous purchase, setting a new benchmark in the market.

If finalized, the Lakers' sale will top the list of the most expensive transactions in North American sports and, consequently, in the NBA. This reflects a trend of sharp valuation increases for professional teams, including women's leagues like the WNBA. This phenomenon has been driven by leagues' growing openness to large ownership groups and the entry of venture capital firms.

This investment trend is also expected to extend to many of the clubs joining NBA Europe, slated to launch in October 2027.

However, the landscape of the most expensive NBA club sales (completed) underwent a radical shift starting in August 2014, when former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer purchased the Clippers for $2 billion (€1.733 billion), at a time when the team was worth less than half that. This move not only allowed Ballmer to enter the NBA as a principal owner, especially with few desirable clubs on the market, but also provided a way for then-LA owner Donald Sterling and The Sterling Family Trust to not refuse the sale at a moment when the NBA decided to remove him as owner – a long-desired outcome – due to proven racist remarks.

According to Forbes' 2025 ranking of the 50 most valuable sports teams, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys hold the top spot with an impressive valuation of $13 billion (€11.269 billion). The Lakers, meanwhile, rank fifth overall, with an estimated value of $10 billion (€8.668 billion), making them the second most valuable NBA team, behind only the Warriors at $11 billion (€9.6 billion).

It's worth noting that last month, the purchase of the Seattle Seahawks by a group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla for $9.6 billion (€8.321 billion) was announced. However, that sale is still awaiting NFL approval.