Insider reveals new details in A-Rod’s failed T-wolves ownership bid

Alex Rodriguez’s failed possession bid with Marc Lore for the Timberwolves may be a house run for the groups’ followers.

Within the newest replace on Rodriguez’s and Lore’s simmering feud with Timberwolves and Lynx proprietor Glen Taylor, which revolves round their meant buy of the 2 franchises, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski studies that paperwork reveal the duo meant to make huge cuts to the Timberwolves’ payroll.

As Wojnarowski notes in his article, Minnesota is predicted to be a luxurious tax staff with the league’s fourth-highest payroll subsequent season. 

Nonetheless, “Lore and Rodriguez rendered a finances projection … that might’ve lowered the Timberwolves’ payroll to $171M starting subsequent season — beneath the $172M luxurious tax threshold.” 

Minnesota is in play for the No. 1 seed within the West, and on Wednesday evening, it performs the Nuggets, whom it is at present tied with for the convention’s high seed.

With Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Cities and Rudy Gobert on huge contracts, Rodriguez and Lore would have wanted to deconstruct the roster to get beneath the luxurious tax.

That trio has the Timberwolves having fun with their most success in years, so followers will probably breathe a sigh of aid that the deal fell via, even when it means the wildly unpopular Taylor stays in cost.

Previous to Wojnarowski’s replace, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the subject for the primary time. He stated the league has “no position” within the dispute whereas noting it could lead on the league “to reassess” the way it permits possession transactions to happen sooner or later.

“It is definitely not ideally suited to have stepped transactions like this,” Silver famous, including, “Nevertheless it’s what Glen Taylor needed, and it is what they had been keen to comply with on the time.”

Rodriguez and Lore initially paid 20% of their $1.5B buy settlement in July 2021 however did not make the deadline for the newest cost on March 27. At that time, Taylor took the staff off the market.

Within the aftermath, Rodriguez and Lore alleged Taylor “confirmed ‘full and utter disregard for the contract,” based on Sportico.

Lore instructed the sports activities enterprise publication, “We will be the homeowners of the Minnesota Timberwolves. It is only a matter of time, and the way a lot ache Glen desires to place the followers, the gamers, the city and group via.”

Per Sportico, Rodriguez and Lore filed an extension on the March 2024 cost six days earlier than it was due and are ready on NBA approval.

The 2 sides are at present in an arbitration course of that “might take a number of months,” per Star Tribune’s Chris Hine. 

In October 2023, Forbes valued the franchise at $2.5B.