Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez win arbitration ruling on Timberwolves sale

Taylor was viewed as a savior of the Timberwolves in 1994, when he bought the team for $94 million from Harvey Ratner and Marv Wolfenson.

Ratner and Wolfenson had owned the team since it entered the NBA in 1989. They had run into issues with their lease at Target Center and sold the team to an ownership group set to move the Wolves to New Orleans. The NBA blocked that sale, and after months of legal maneuverings and negotiations, Taylor purchased the team.

He also championed the WNBA and built a dynasty with the Lynx, which started play in 1999. The Lynx has won four WNBA titles under Taylor’s ownership and lost in the WNBA Finals twice, including last year.

Rodriguez, 49, and Lore, 53, have been ubiquitous on the sidelines of Wolves games. Lore, a billionaire tech entrepreneur, and Rodriguez, whose successful baseball career was marred by admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs that included a seasonlong suspension in 2014, will give a fresh face to the franchise after Taylor’s 30 years of ownership.

Taylor, Rodriguez and Lore entered the agreement for a multi-year transition of power for the Wolves and Lynx in 2021. Lore and Rodriguez helped recruit current President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly to his role from Denver, with Taylor ultimately signing off on the hire.

An impending Lore-Rodriguez ownership likely means the franchise will look to build a new arena; Taylor preferred the team stay at Target Center.