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Alex Rodriguez, Mark Lore Win Arbitration Battle in Ongoing Saga of Timberwolves Sale

Minnesota's Glen Taylor claimed back in March that the team was "no longer for sale" after a 90-day window to close the deal expired.

Mike Kadlick

Rodriguez and Lore agreed to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2021.
Rodriguez and Lore agreed to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2021. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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Entrepreneur Marc Lore and legendary baseball player Alex Rodriguez are one step closer to becoming the majority owners of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, arbitrators ruled on Monday in favor of Lore and Rodriguez over Glen Taylor, who purchased the team in 1994.

Taylor originally agreed to sell the teams to Lore and Rodriguez back in 2021 for $1.5 billion. After claiming the deadline for final payment had been missed, however, he tried to take the teams off the market.

Both sides lawyered up and went to arbitration, and on Monday a three-person panel ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez. The group now has a 90-day window to finish paying Taylor for control of both franchises. They'll also need to be approved by the NBA's Board of Governors.

"We are extremely pleased with today's decision," Lore and Rodriguez said in a statement to ESPN. "We look forward to working with the NBA to complete the approval process and close this transaction so that we can turn our attention to winning championships in Minnesota for our incredible fans and the Twin Cities community."

“Becky and I were disappointed by this 2-1 decision from the panel," said Taylor. "We will review the decision thoroughly prior to making any further comment. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Timberwolves and Lynx players, staff, and loyal fans for their support.”

The 30-23 Timberwolves are in Cleveland on Monday night for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off against the Cavaliers. The Lynx finished their 2024 season 30-10 before losing to the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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