Lakers minority owner Todd Boehly tied to proposed Russian oil deal

The Lakers have had an eventful year in the ownership department. Now one of their minority owners has turned up in a story involving Russian oil, U.S. officials and talks about the war in Ukraine.

Todd Boehly is part of a group pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal for international assets owned by Russian energy company Lukoil, according to The New York Times. The assets include oil fields, refineries and gas stations. The proposal would require approval from both the U.S. government and the Kremlin. It is not a completed transaction.

Reuters reported that the group also includes two Middle Eastern investors with business ties to U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner or Steve Witkoff’s family, along with an arm of the U.S. government. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly raised the proposed deal during a September meeting with Kushner and Witkoff.

There’s a Lakers connection beyond Boehly, though it needs a little care: Jared Kushner is the brother of Josh Kushner, who agreed with Bob Iger to buy a controlling stake in the team from Mark Walter. Josh has not been identified as a participant in the oil proposal. Boehly remains a Lakers minority owner.

None of this tells us anything about the Lakers’ next starting five. It does offer another reminder that NBA ownership stories can stretch well beyond basketball. This one stretches all the way to negotiations involving Washington and Moscow.

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