Chris Paul Eyes Lakers Role After 21 Seasons as Bob Iger Joins Ownership

Q: Could Bob Iger's close ties with the newly retired Chris Paul disrupt the Lakers' promised management continuity under Jeanie Buss?

Unlikely in the short term. The reporting around the Lakers’ sale points to continuity, not an immediate power shift, even if Bob Iger’s relationship with Chris Paul leads to conversations about a role. Jeanie Buss is still expected to remain governor, and Rob Pelinka is still expected to run basketball operations. Iger has said he and Josh Kushner intend to honor the existing arrangement with Buss, which stems from the prior Mark Walter deal and is tied to the Buss family’s remaining minority stake. Reports also indicate JJ Redick’s extension was aligned with Pelinka’s timeline, another sign that the current structure is being preserved for now. Chris Paul is better understood at this stage as a possible addition to that structure, not a replacement for it. Ramona Shelburne’s reporting was careful: Paul is a close friend of Iger, recently retired, and has an “incredible basketball mind,” but no role has been decided. The expectation is that they will talk, not that Paul is about to be installed over Buss or Pelinka. That said, Iger has not ruled out future evolution. He has said the new owners have made no firm organizational plans yet and left open the possibility that “if things change, they’ll change.” So Paul’s presence could eventually influence the front office in an advisory or executive capacity. For now, though, the evidence suggests Paul would complement the Lakers’ promised continuity, not disrupt it.

Q: After a record $12 billion sale, will Chris Paul finally pull the strings for the Lakers 15 years after his vetoed trade?

Probably not yet — but Chris Paul is a credible candidate for some Lakers role, most likely as an adviser or front-office voice rather than someone immediately “pulling the strings.” The strongest reporting says the Lakers’ basketball structure is expected to remain intact after the record roughly $12 billion to $12.5 billion sale to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. Jeanie Buss is expected to stay on as governor, Rob Pelinka is expected to remain general manager, and JJ Redick’s contract reportedly aligns with Pelinka’s, signaling continuity rather than a sudden power shift. What has changed is that Paul is now firmly on the radar. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Paul is a close friend of Iger’s and that the two are expected to talk. She described Paul as having an “incredible basketball mind,” which is why his name has surfaced as the ownership group takes shape. But there is no confirmed title, agreement, or formal hiring. Paul’s résumé makes the idea plausible. He retired after 21 seasons, served as NBPA president from 2013 to 2021, and has already shown interest in business and sports investment. Those credentials fit an advisory, executive-development, or front-office pathway. The symbolism would be obvious: 15 years after the NBA vetoed the trade that would have sent him to the Lakers, Paul could still join the franchise — just not as a player. For now, though, this remains informed speculation, not an imminent takeover of basketball decisions.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 13

Chris Paul is expected to speak with incoming Lakers owner Bob Iger about a possible role after retiring following 21 NBA seasons, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
Iger is described as a close friend and mentor to Paul, whose leadership credentials include serving as National Basketball Players Association president from 2013 to 2021.
The talks would come amid the pending sale of Mark Walter's majority Lakers stake to Josh Kushner and Iger, though major basketball-operations changes do not appear imminent.
Jeanie Buss is expected to remain governor and Rob Pelinka general manager, extending a front-office structure that has already added specialized hires in recent months.
Any Lakers link for Paul would revive a long-running connection: his 2011 trade to Los Angeles was blocked by then-commissioner David Stern before he landed with the Clippers.