Could Shohei Ohtani leave the Los Angeles Dodgers if Mark Walter sells the team after Lakers deal?

The sports world was stunned this week when reports broke that the Los Angeles Lakers had been sold again less than a year after the franchise's most recent sale.

Not just because of the massive $12 billion price tag, and the speed with which the deal came together, nor that the new ownership group is being headed by former Disney company CEO Bob Iger .

But because the now-former ownership group was headed by Mark Walter, one of the most successful sports owners in recent history.

Walter is the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, a massive, $350 billion global financial services company.

And as such, is the lead owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The same Dodgers who have won back-to-back World Series titles, and become the convenient villain for fans and the other owners, desperate to make increase their profits.

DAVE ROBERTS CALLS CRITICISM OF DODGERS' SPENDING 'LAZY,' SAYS RIVALS SHOULD 'LOOK IN THE MIRROR' So one of the richest men in the country, who's already successfully revamped the Dodgers into a behemoth, was set to bring his financial wherewithal and acumen to one of the most iconic organizations in the NBA .

Then, less than a year after the deal was officially approved, he sells the team.

It's odd, to say the least.

Unless that same owner is currently under investigation by the federal government for alleged loan fraud.

An investigation that might require significant cash, even for someone as wealthy as Walter, to resolve.

Speculation immediately ran rampant that the Lakers sale was a necessity to free up funds for Walter.

And then immediately went even more rampant that an even more stunning transaction might also become a necessity: selling the Dodgers too.

Guggenheim purchased the Dodgers in 2012 for $2 billion, which seemed like an astronomical price at the time.