Business Decision with Mike Vorkunov

The NBA's Big $10 Billion Question

What's going to happen to the Los Angeles Lakers? That's the $10 Billion question around the NBA right now. The Lakers are undergoing a makeover. Maybe on the court, as they build around Luka Dončić, but definitely in the front office and through the organization. That's because of the guy who bought them last year: Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Will Walter try to make the Lakers into the Dodgers? That's what everyone wants to know. Mike Vorkunov [https://x.com/MikeVorkunov], an NBA [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nba] reporter for The Athletic, and Yaron Weitzman [https://x.com/YaronWeitzman], a NBA reporter and the author of A Hollywood Ending," his book about LeBron James and the Lakers, discuss what happens next with the #Lakers [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lakers] and how owning one pro sports team impacts how you run another. They also discuss the Philadelphia 76ers and if the Lakers can anything from the ownership of Josh Harris, who also owns a NFL team, EPL team, NHL team, and soon a WNBA team. THE READING LIST What will the Lakers look like with top Dodgers execs helping lead the way? That's the big question in L.A. [https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/what-will-the-lakers-look-like-with-top-dodgers-execs-helping-lead-the-way-thats-the-big-question-in-la-184532926.html] A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers [https://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Ending-Dreams-LeBron-Lakers/dp/0385550227] The NBA's $10 Billion Question: What Happens With the Lakers [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbJHfpXlgdc&t=14s]

The Case Against NBA Expansion

The NBA seems set to expand. It's definitely exploring it. But is it good for the league? On this episode of Business Decision, Mike Vorkunov talks to The Ringer's Howard Beck to see if the NBA should expand and why it could hurt the league. Not financially. The NBA will make plenty of money. But if it will make the basketball worse. The part no one is talking about for the basketball league. Howard and Mike discuss the case against expansion and why it would dilute the quality of basketball. They also talk about whether the NBA will expand at all and what the factors at play are for the NBA. Where? How much? Why? All that and much more. THE READING LIST “There’s No Basketball Case”: Why the NBA Is Expanding Anyway [https://www.theringer.com/2026/03/26/nba/nba-expansion-las-vegas-seattle-draft-teams-adam-silver] Are We Sure NBA Expansion Is a Good Idea? [https://www.theringer.com/2025/02/18/nba/nba-expansion-teams-las-vegas-seattle-adam-silver-future]

How to Build a New Sneaker Company and the NBA All-Star Hoping to "Make This an Empire”

The Athletic's national NBA reporter, Mike Vorkunov, looks at how a new shoe company goes from new to an NBA court. On this episode of Business Decision, Mike talked to Stria Sports founder Eric Porter and Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond about how they are trying to build the company into something big and sustainable. Porter founded the company a few years ago and Drummond, a two-time All-Star, just came on as an investor and creative director. Soon, he'll have his own signature shoe. That will be the first time a Stria sneaker hits the #NBA hardwood. So why did Drummond leave Nike for a little-known emerging company? He describes his decision and what he hopes to do at Stria. Porter talks about his idea behind starting the company and what the ambitions are. Also, what's the best business decision both of them made? And why Andre Drummond doesn't just take the easy money anymore.

WNBA is BACK! New CBA Analysis and WNBA Offseason Preview

Mike Vorkunov talks to The Athletic's lead WNBA reporter, Sabreena Merchant, about the big news in the WNBA and women's basketball: the new CBA. Mike and Sabreena get into the details of the new CBA, what it means for the league, and what there is to like and worry about for the players. We discuss how the WNBA will operate with the new collective bargaining agreement in place and if either side made a bad deal. Then, Mike and Sabreena move on to the rapidly approaching WNBA offseason. It's about to start very soon. There's two expansion drafts, a WNBA draft, and free agency. It's time for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo to start building their teams and then start playing. We talk about which teams might have big offseasons and why. We also discuss the crunch that teams like the Las Vegas Aces could find themselves in with the new CBA. Also, is there a new way to build a winner in the WNBA and does it give teams like the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings an advantage because of Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers? That and much more in this new episode of Business Decision. THE READING LIST WNBA, WNBPA release additional financial details of new CBA [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7135378/2026/03/20/wnba-wnbpa-new-cba-details-labor-contract-2026/] WNBA, players reach verbal agreement on new CBA after marathon negotiations [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7113991/2026/03/18/wnba-players-new-labor-deal/]

The Secret Fight to Keep the Trail Blazers From Leaving Portland

While everyone is talking about NBA expansion, Portland Trail Blazers fans and local politicians are fighting to keep the NBA team in the city. It's more serious than you know. The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov talks to Oregonian sports columnist Bill Oram about the battle to keep the Trail Blazers from leaving Portland. It's an interesting story that mixes the delicate power dynamics involved when a new team owner comes in, the unwillingness of a local government to give him what he wants, and the high costs of owning a pro sports team. Oram knows more about this issue than anyone else. On this episode of Business Decision, Mike and Bill talk about his fears that the #Blazers could go, what will keep them in Portland, how this is all happening as the #WNBA comes to the city with the Portland Fire, and his prediction for how this all ends. The Reading List I Hope I'm Wrong But This Is Why I Fear the Trail Blazers Could Be As Good As Gone [https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/2026/02/i-hope-im-wrong-but-this-is-why-i-fear-the-trail-blazers-could-be-as-good-as-gone-bill-oram.html] Trail Blazers’ future in Portland less clear than ever as arena efforts meet resistance [https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2026/02/trail-blazers-future-in-portland-less-clear-than-ever-as-arena-efforts-meet-resistance-bill-oram.html]