LOS ANGELES — Billionaire Philip Anschutz, the founder of AEG and owner of Staples Center, has agreed to sell his 27% stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter and Todd Boehly, two of the Dodgers' owners, sources confirmed to The Los Angeles Times.
Sportico first reported the transaction, which valued the Lakers at about $5 billion, putting Walter's and Boehly's stake in the NBA franchise owned by the Buss family at $1.35 billion, the largest minority ownership with the team.
Anschutz is also the owner of the Los Angeles Kings and the Galaxy, and a source said the move with the Lakers shares won't affect his relationship with either team.
The move is "part of some financial planning and redeployment of capital to other AEG projects and growth initiatives," AEG Chief Executive Dan Beckerman told Sportico.
The sale needs approval from the NBA's Board of Governors, though approval doesn't need to happen at a formal meeting and can be handled remotely, a source said.
The partnership would further intertwine Los Angeles' two premiere sports entities, who already are partners with their local television deals with Spectrum.
The Lakers recently extended their lease with Staples Center.
"Location, location, location," Tim Harris, president of business operations for the franchise, told The Times in late May. "We're in the heart of L.A., and the infrastructure is building up all around us."
According to Sportico's data, the Lakers are the third-most valued NBA organization at $5.14 billion, trailing only the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors.
