Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman, two key executives with the Los Angeles Dodgers, have taken on advisory roles with the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the ownership transition from the Buss family to Mark Walter, multiple sources told ESPN.
Zaidi, currently a special adviser to the Dodgers and renowned for his analytics background, is functioning as Walter’s representative in helping with the transition, sources close to the situation said.
Friedman, the president of baseball operations with the Dodgers, has played a lesser role. He mostly consults with Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, sources said. Friedman has helped the Dodgers win three of the past six World Series.
Both the Lakers and Dodgers are expected to become part of TWG Sports, the entity Walter created to oversee all his sports holdings. As such, Zaidi and Friedman are acting as senior executives of TWG Sports, which is helping with the Lakers after the sale of the team closed last month.
Sources said Zaidi has also been consulting with the Los Angeles Sparks. Walter and TWG Sports own the WNBA team as well.
On Thursday, the Lakers terminated several members of their scouting department, including Joey and Jesse Buss, the brothers told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Walter was approved as the new majority owner of the Lakers on Oct. 29. The sale of the team was valued at $10 billion. As part of the deal, Jeanie Buss will remain as the team’s governor for at least the next five years.
