Joey and Jesse Buss back Padres ownership bid, reports say they are also pursuing an NBA Europe stake

Joey Buss and Jesse Buss have joined a new ownership group for the San Diego Padres, reported to be centered on a deal that would give the Buss brothers’ investment group an approximately 5% stake in the club. The announcement, published Wednesday, places the youngest sons of former Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss back in the sports ownership mix, this time on the MLB side. It also keeps alive a thread that has followed the Buss family’s broader sports investing strategy: exploring opportunities that extend beyond the United States.

The reports say the Buss brothers are participating through Buss Sports Capital, the investment group they founded. That matters because ownership stakes in major league franchises often shape long-term control, governance influence, and the ability to bankroll baseball operations, even when day-to-day decisions still rest with the teams’ established leadership. In this case, the Padres’ reported ownership framework is being fronted by husband-wife tandem Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, while the Buss brothers would become part of the ownership structure through their capital vehicle.

What ties this development to the NBA is that multiple reports also describe the Buss brothers as pursuing an ownership stake tied to NBA Europe. For basketball, the concept of a broader, franchise-like footprint in Europe is frequently discussed in league and business terms, but actual ownership structures and timelines tend to move slowly and through negotiations that are not always visible to the public. The Buss brothers’ involvement, as reported, suggests they may be looking at the investment side of the NBA’s international expansion strategy rather than focusing solely on traditional NBA club assets in North America.

The Buss family connection to basketball ownership is well known, but Joey and Jesse’s latest reported move reframes that relationship in a more diversified way. Instead of centering their ownership footprint exclusively around the Lakers’ ecosystem, the Buss brothers are now associated, at least in reporting, with a new MLB ownership group while also exploring an NBA Europe angle. That dual-track posture is significant because it reflects how modern sports ownership can be built across leagues and markets, with a common interest in brand growth, global fan development, and monetization of media rights.

There are still clear limits to what can be confirmed from the current public reporting. While the Yahoo Sports report characterizes the Padres deal as being reported at roughly a 5% stake, it does not, in the material available here, provide detailed terms such as governance rights, funding schedules, or final regulatory approval status. Major league ownership changes also typically require league review and approvals, so the practical timeline for the Buss brothers’ involvement could change as the transaction process continues.

For the Padres, the broader question is what new ownership energy could mean for franchise planning. MLB teams operate with long-cycle decisions, including player development investment, stadium-related business models, and competitive roster construction built over multiple seasons. For basketball, if the reports about an NBA Europe ownership pathway prove accurate, the Buss brothers’ name could become part of the set of investors linked to the NBA’s international product strategy. In the weeks ahead, watch for official statements or filings related to the Padres ownership group and for any corroboration that the NBA Europe effort has progressed from discussion to a concrete investment framework.