Lakers Dismiss Four Scouts Following Front-Office Shake-Up
lakers-dismiss-four-scouts-following-front-office-shake-up
The Los Angeles Lakers removed four members of their scouting department on Thursday, hours after parting ways with longtime executives Joey and Jesse Buss, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Scouts Sean Buss, Aaron Jackson, Moses Zapata and Can Pelister were informed of their termination, McMenamin reported in posts dated Nov. 20 and 21, 2025. The moves leave the franchise with a severely reduced talent-evaluation group in the middle of the 2025-26 season.
The upheaval comes less than a month after the NBA approved Mark Walter’s $10 billion purchase of a controlling stake in the Lakers. Walter previously said he would assess the organization before making significant adjustments, mirroring his approach after acquiring the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Joey and Jesse Buss, minority owners who had handled basketball operations for two decades, were relieved of their day-to-day duties earlier in the day but retain their ownership stakes. In a statement to ESPN, the brothers thanked “Laker Nation” and reflected on their family’s legacy, adding, “We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team.”
Until replacements are hired, Los Angeles will operate with a limited scouting presence while holding its own first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and monitoring an ongoing college season.
Source: Lakers Nation
