Timberwolves Owners Set for Mediation Session to Settle Ugly Dispute on Majority Stake

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - A general view of Target Center prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs on January 9, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo : Harrison Barden/Getty Images)

The Minnesota Timberwolves ownership is involved in a heated dispute between two factions, including majority owner Glen Taylor and a group of minority owners led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.

Tensions escalated within the organization after Taylor backed out of their agreement for the Lore/Rodriguez group to acquire the majority share of the team due to some conditions.

A mediation session has been scheduled for May 1 in Minneapolis between the two parties to attempt to resolve the dispute, according to league insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Lore and Rodriguez were initially set to acquire the majority stake in the team from Taylor in March 2024.

However, Taylor backed out of the deal, citing the duo's failure to meet sales deadlines and the cost-cutting measures that they were about to take once they obtained the majority ownership.

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One of the reported cost-cutting measures was to reduce player payroll to avoid salary tax, which would require letting go of one of their top players.

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez want original deal

Taylor expressed concern that this move would hinder their chances of competing for the NBA championship.

However, Lore and Rodriguez are disputing Taylor's assertions and are actively advocating to reinstate the original agreement, which involved them assuming majority ownership of the team.

If a compromise is not reached during the mediation session, the dispute will proceed to arbitration, likely around July, where a judge ultimately decides which party is right.

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