Jesse Buss

Jesse Buss is an American sports executive. From 2006 to 2025, he worked for the Los Angeles Lakers. He was known as the team's “draft guru.”[1][2]

Career

Lakers

Buss began working for the Lakers in 2006, as a basketball operations assistant.[3] In 2008, he became a scout;[4] in 2011, scouting coordinator;[4] in 2013, scouting director;[3] and in 2015, an assistant general manager.[5]

For the next decade, together with his brother Joey, Buss played a key role in the Lakers’ scouting and player-development operation. They helped to find and cultivate key role players such as Max Christie,[1] Jordan Clarkson,[6] Josh Hart,[7] Austin Reaves,[1] Julius Randle,[3] and Ivica Zubac.[8]

Buss was involved in the NBA draft year-round,[6] playing a leading role in the Lakers’ draft strategy.[9][1] According to Fox Sports, Jesse and Joey “have been praised for their roles in the Lakers’ successful drafts and free-agent signings.”[10]

When Jerry Buss died in 2013, ownership of the Lakers transitioned to a trust controlled by his children.[11][12] (Jesse is Jerry's youngest child[13] and was born in the 1980s to Jerry's girlfriend Karen Demel.)[14]

In June 2025, Mark Walter, the chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed to buy the controlling interest of the Lakers from the Buss family, at a $10 billion valuation.[15] At the time, this valuation was the highest for a professional sports franchise.[16] The NBA's board of governors approved the sale in October 2025.[17]

In November 2025, as part of overhauling the scouting staff,[18][2] the Lakers fired Buss, along with his brother Joey, the team's alternate governor, vice president of research and development, and president of the team's G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.[19] Both Buss brothers retained their minority ownership shares.[18]

Buss Sports Capital

In September 2025, Joey and Jesse created Buss Sports Capital, an investment company specializing in sports.[20][21]

Left Coast Legends

Buss is the program director for a youth basketball program, the Left Coast Legends, which is part of the Amateur Athletic Union.[22] In 2025, Buss donated a basketball court to the Bel Air Presbyterian School, where the Legends practice.[23]

Personal life

In 2023, Buss married Sarah Jordan, at their home in Los Angeles. They have two sons.[24]

As of November 2025, Buss has been dealing with an unspecified illness for several years, for which he receives immunotherapy treatments.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Woike, Dan (20 November 2025). "Lakers fire Joey, Jesse Buss from front-office positions: Sources". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b Helin, Kurt (20 November 2025). "Lakers fire much of scouting staff in reorganization, including Joey and Jesse Buss". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Trudell, Mike (22 June 2015). "Jesse Buss: The Scouting Game". NBA.com. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b "Lakers Announce Front Office Promotions". NBA.com. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  5. ^ Menzie, Ryan (9 October 2022). "Lakers News: The Rise Of Joey And Jesse Buss". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions". ESPN. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  7. ^ Trudell, Mike (14 May 2018). "Scouting the Draft with Jesse Buss: 30th Pick Josh Hart". NBA.com. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  8. ^ Almo, Alder (20 November 2025). "Lakers Fire High-Ranking Officials After Sale: Report". Heavy. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  9. ^ Charania, Shams (3 October 2022). "Inside the Lakers' Russell Westbrook plan: Why he's still in L.A., but the possibility of a trade still exists". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Lakers Fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss From Front Office After Ownership Change". Fox Sports. Fox News. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
  11. ^ Charania, Shams (18 June 2025). "Buss family to sell Lakers to Mark Walter for $10B valuation". ESPN. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  12. ^ Bresnahan, Mike (April 19, 2014). "Buss family faces crucial moment with the Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014.
  13. ^ Pincus, Eric (26 September 2013). "Scouting coordinator Jesse Buss is also part-owner of the franchise". The Los Angeles Times.
  14. ^ Holmes, Baxter (21 January 2026). "How Buss family infighting drove the $10B sale of the Lakers". ESPN. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  15. ^ Reynolds, Tim (19 June 2025). "Buss family to sell controlling stake of Lakers to Mark Walter for $10B valuation, AP source says". The Associated Press. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  16. ^ Young, Ryan (18 June 2025). "How the Los Angeles Lakers' $10 billion sale compares to the price tags of other North American sports franchises". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  17. ^ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (30 October 2025). "NBA approves Buss family sale of Lakers to Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  18. ^ a b Beacham, Greg (20 November 2025). "Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions after ownership change". The Associated Press. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  19. ^ Turner, Broderick (20 November 2025). "Lakers fire executives Joey and Jesse Buss and members of scouting staff". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  20. ^ Shaikin, Bill (9 December 2025). "Take a swing? Two Buss brothers consider investing in baseball's Athletics". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  21. ^ McMenamin, Dave (24 September 2025). "Buss brothers launch new sports acquisition business". ESPN. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  22. ^ Levine, Daisy (21 August 2025). "Best of L.A. 2025: Meet The Lakers' Jesse Buss". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  23. ^ Samra, Christine (9 July 2025). "Jesse Buss talks Lakers, investing in future athletes". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
  24. ^ Gaffney, Adrienne (5 December 2023). "A Backyard Wedding With Lil Wayne, Carbone, and the Lakers". Elle. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
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