LOS ANGELES — Mark Walter’s shocking decision to sell the Lakers just 10 months after officially taking ownership of the NBA franchise will not impact his other major sports holding, the Dodgers, according to team president and CEO Stan Kasten.
“This is a Lakers story. It’s not really a Dodgers story,” Kasten said Wednesday afternoon. “They’re completely separate. So there are no changes here or contemplated here.
“I think that pretty much is the whole story.”
Kasten said he sees the sale as just an example of Walter being an “opportunistic” businessman. He had no indication that Walter had been looking to sell the Lakers, but the fact that the Lakers’ new owners, Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, were involved in a potential NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas could impact the current opportunity.
“I got a call yesterday telling me what had happened, which had happened the day before yesterday. So it was literally that,” Kasten said. “These stories that you’re reading are exactly what happened. And the intersection of the NBA expansion bid – I can’t speak to that. But from my other sources, I know that’s going on. So I can’t tell you anyone’s motivation.”
One motivation Walter might have is the reported federal investigation into some companies he controls. Bloomberg has reported that the Lakers’ sale for a reported $12.5 billion ($2.5 billion more than he purchased it for) will help Walter offset some of the loans that are the subject of investigation.
Kasten said he knew nothing about the federal investigation until it was first reported about three weeks ago (right before the Dodgers, including Walter and Kasten, visited the White House). He pleaded ignorance on how that investigation might have motivated Walter to sell the Lakers.
“I have no reason to think that,” Kasten said Wednesday. “Mark and I discussed it. So no, we don’t have any reason to think that. I certainly have no reason to think that.”
Kasten had the same answer when asked if the Lakers’ sale or the investigation into Walter’s companies would impact the financial resources available to the Dodgers. With the trade for pitcher Tarik Skubal at the deadline, the Dodgers’ projected payroll for 2026 is $430 million with an estimated competitive balance tax of $180 million. But the Dodgers are also the first MLB team to exceed $1 billion in annual revenue.
“I have no reason to think that,” said Kasten, who spent years as the president and GM of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. “We haven’t even been consulted on that (the federal investigation). So I really have no concerns about that at all.
“There’s no real shock on the Dodgers side except for people asking inevitable questions – to which I can give the only assurance that I can that everything is the same here. No change at all.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has no expectation other than “business as usual.” But he had the same reaction to the news on Wednesday.
“I was shocked like I think everyone else was,” he said. “That’s above all our pay grades. I know that he was excited to take on the Lakers so, yeah, I was surprised there.”
OHTANI PROGRESS
Shohei Ohtani threw long toss on the field before Tuesday’s game and then briefly made ‘dry throws’ off the bullpen mound – mimicking the pitching motion without throwing a baseball. It could be a sign that Ohtani is ready to ramp up his throwing progression and start throwing off a mound for the first time in three weeks.
“I don’t know when that is going to take place. But I do think that we should all be encouraged that throwing out to 200-plus feet yesterday and then doing dry throws and then probably the next progression is getting off the mound,” Roberts said.
Ohtani’s return to pitching in games this season could look a lot like last year’s progression in his return from Tommy John surgery. After throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in simulated games, Ohtani used major-league games as his rehab assignment, starting out with just one inning and slowly increasing from there.
“Having kind of done that – an inning here, an inning there and then you sort of build up during the season, absolutely,” Roberts said. “And I think he’s seen what that buildup can lead to and how it looks. I certainly feel that he’ll buy in, yeah.
“At the end of the day, he wants to be healthy. He wants to be there in the postseason. I think that did check him up (his setback after throwing a bullpen session three weeks ago). If you look at how we kind of paused things – we all want to be smart and careful. I’m happy that we’ve done that with him.”
ROSTER MOVE
The Dodgers returned right-hander Seth Halvorsen to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday after he pitched a hitless inning and earned the victory on Tuesday night. Right-hander Landon Knack was promoted from OKC, giving the Dodgers a multi-inning option the bullpen at a point when multiple relievers will be unavailable based on recent usage.
“He was good for us yesterday. Expect him to be back with us some day,” Roberts said of Halvorsen. “But just to protect the downside we brought Landon Knack back. We’ve got a lot of guys down today. It’ll be an interesting night.”
UP NEXT
Brewers (LHP Shane Drohan, 6-4, 3.87 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Roki Sasaki, 5-5, 4.54 ERA), Thursday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM