For Now at Least, Daniels Is Content to Own Only a Small Portion of Lakers

Have you noticed that Jerry Buss is selling some of his stuff?

Last month, for example, he went rummaging through one of his drawers, looking for an old stamp. He found it, an 1867 one-center, and sold it for $380,000.

In September, Buss and his former wife, Joann, sold 49% of his hockey team, the Kings. Pickfair is for sale, for a reported $11.5 million. In 1985, Buss sold his coin collection for $2 million.

Obvious question: Can the basketball team be far behind?

When asked if he has plans to sell the Lakers, Buss said through Forum spokesman Bob Steiner: “None whatsoever.”

Bill Daniels, 65, who is Buss’ equal partner in Prime Ticket, a Southern California sports cable television venture, won’t deny he would be interested in buying the Lakers.

“It’s possible,” he said recently, when asked if he thought he’d ever wind up owning the Lakers.

“It would depend on my mood. It would depend on the price. If I was 15 years younger, I might be going after the whole thing (the Lakers) more aggressively.”

In September, Daniels bought 5% of the Lakers from the former Mrs. Buss. She had owned a fraction less than 50% of the NBA team, Buss slightly more than 50%. In September, Daniels said he did not anticipate becoming the Lakers’ majority owner.

“Never is a pretty strong word but I doubt it,” he said.

A recent Fortune magazine survey put the value of the Laker franchise at $36 to $40 million. Buss bought the Forum, Lakers and Kings for $67.5 million in 1979.