Jesse Buss

Jesse Buss (born 1987 or 1988) 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.”

Career

Lakers

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

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, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Hart, Austin Reaves, Julius Randle, and Ivica Zubac.

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

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

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. At the time, this valuation was the highest for a professional sports franchise. The NBA's board of governors approved the sale in October 2025.

In November 2025, as part of overhauling the scouting staff, 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. Both Buss brothers retained their minority ownership shares.

Buss Sports Capital

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

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. In 2025, Buss donated a basketball court to the Bel Air Presbyterian School, where the Legends practice.

Personal life

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

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

References

  1. ↑ Lidz, Franz (November 2, 1998). "She's Got Balls". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2013. After Jerry divorced JoAnn, in 1972, he had two more kids--Joey, now 14, and Jesse, 10--with one of his girlfriends, Karen Demel.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Woike, Dan (November 20, 2025). "Lakers fire Joey, Jesse Buss from front-office positions: Sources". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Helin, Kurt (November 20, 2025). "Lakers fire much of scouting staff in reorganization, including Joey and Jesse Buss". NBC Sports. NBC. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Trudell, Mike (June 22, 2015). "Jesse Buss: The Scouting Game". NBA.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Lakers Announce Front Office Promotions". NBA.com. September 11, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  6. ↑ Menzie, Ryan (October 9, 2022). "Lakers News: The Rise Of Joey And Jesse Buss". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions". ESPN. November 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  8. ↑ Trudell, Mike (May 14, 2018). "Scouting the Draft with Jesse Buss: 30th Pick Josh Hart". NBA.com. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  9. ↑ Almo, Alder (November 20, 2025). "Lakers Fire High-Ranking Officials After Sale: Report". Heavy. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  10. ↑ Charania, Shams (October 3, 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 January 20, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Lakers Fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss From Front Office After Ownership Change". Fox Sports. Fox News. November 20, 2025. Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  12. ↑ Charania, Shams (June 18, 2025). "Buss family to sell Lakers to Mark Walter for $10B valuation". ESPN. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ Bresnahan, Mike (April 19, 2014). "Buss family faces crucial moment with the Lakers". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014.
  14. ↑ Pincus, Eric (September 26, 2013). "Scouting coordinator Jesse Buss is also part-owner of the franchise". The Los Angeles Times.
  15. ↑ Holmes, Baxter (January 21, 2026). "How Buss family infighting drove the $10B sale of the Lakers". ESPN. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  16. ↑ Reynolds, Tim (June 19, 2025). "Buss family to sell controlling stake of Lakers to Mark Walter for $10B valuation, AP source says". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  17. ↑ Young, Ryan (June 18, 2025). "How the Los Angeles Lakers' $10 billion sale compares to the price tags of other North American sports franchises". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  18. ↑ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (October 30, 2025). "NBA approves Buss family sale of Lakers to Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Beacham, Greg (November 20, 2025). "Lakers fire Joey Buss, Jesse Buss from front office positions after ownership change". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ Turner, Broderick (November 20, 2025). "Lakers fire executives Joey and Jesse Buss and members of scouting staff". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  21. ↑ Shaikin, Bill (December 9, 2025). "Take a swing? Two Buss brothers consider investing in baseball's Athletics". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  22. ↑ McMenamin, Dave (September 24, 2025). "Buss brothers launch new sports acquisition business". ESPN. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  23. ↑ Levine, Daisy (August 21, 2025). "Best of L.A. 2025: Meet The Lakers' Jesse Buss". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  24. ↑ Samra, Christine (July 9, 2025). "Jesse Buss talks Lakers, investing in future athletes". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  25. ↑ Gaffney, Adrienne (December 5, 2023). "A Backyard Wedding With Lil Wayne, Carbone, and the Lakers". Elle. Retrieved January 21, 2026.