Did you know new Lakers owner Josh Kushner holds a stake in Heat? Not for long

Josh Kushner’s agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers alongside former Disney CEO Bob Iger comes with one notable NBA complication: The prospective controlling owner currently holds an ownership stake in the Miami Heat.

Kushner and Iger agreed Wednesday to purchase the Lakers from Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a record $12.5 billion. Before Kushner can officially become a controlling owner of the Lakers, however, he will have to divest his minority interest in Miami.

ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel detailed Kushner’s history as an NBA investor following news of the Lakers sale.

“Kushner, 41, is the younger brother of Jared Kushner and the founder and managing partner of the venture capital firm Thrive Capital. He also co-founded Oscar Health and is a 50 percent owner with his brother in JK2, also known as Westminster Management, which is a real estate management company.

“After acquiring a 2.5 percent stake in the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, Kushner sold this ownership equity to buy a small stake in the Miami Heat in 2024. He will need to sell this partial stake in the Heat to become a controlling owner of the Lakers.”

Kushner’s investment in the Heat was not his first involvement with NBA ownership. His previous 2.5% stake in the Memphis Grizzlies means he has already gone through the league’s vetting process for ownership interests with two different franchises.

Josh Kushner must sell Heat stake before taking control of Lakers

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst further explained the situation on The Hoop Collective, noting that Kushner’s previous approval as a minority owner could provide some familiarity with the NBA’s ownership process.

“Josh Kushner is a minority owner of the Miami Heat and previously was a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies and therefore has been approved to have that by the NBA,” Windhorst said. “He has been vetted on some level by the NBA and approved by the NBA to own pieces of two different teams.”

Kushner’s Heat stake, however, must be resolved before the Lakers transaction can be completed.

“In fact, he will have to sell his share of the Miami Heat, which by the way, the Heat don’t sell shares very often,” Windhorst said. “That’s a very closely held team. That’s neither here nor there. He’ll have to sell the shares of the Miami Heat before he can buy the Lakers. That potentially could take some time as a side note.”

The requirement adds another step to an already historic ownership transition. Kushner and Iger’s $12.5 billion agreement comes less than a year after Walter completed his $10 billion acquisition of the Lakers from the Buss family in October 2025.

The transaction will also require approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors before the new ownership group can formally take control.

For Kushner, selling his Miami interest represents another transition in an NBA ownership history that has already taken him from Memphis to Miami. Once the necessary approvals and divestment are completed, his next stop will place him atop one of the league’s most valuable and recognizable franchises.

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