What happened: Multiple procedural steps remain before the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers can close and transfer ownership. Among the primary hurdles is formal resolution between controlling owner Jeanie Buss and the Buss family trust.

Why it matters: Mark Walter expects the sale to proceed despite intra-family legal challenges, but clearing trust claims is essential to finalizing the deal. Transferring control of the $12.5 billion franchise marks the conclusion of the Buss family's decades-long governing tenure.

What to watch: The parties will address family trust filings before submitting the completed transaction to the NBA Board of Governors for approval.