Who Owns the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2026?

The Minnesota Timberwolves are owned by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who completed a long fought purchase of the franchise in June 2025.

The two businessmen bought the team from Glen Taylor, the Minnesota businessman who had controlled the Timberwolves since 1994, in a deal that closed only after an arbitration panel sided with the buyers in a dispute that dragged on for years.

The sale, valued around 1.5 billion dollars, also included the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, meaning Lore and Rodriguez now control both Minneapolis franchises.

This guide breaks down exactly who owns the Timberwolves today, how the arbitration battle unfolded, what the team is worth heading into 2026, and what fans should know about Anthony Edwards and the roster built around him.

Quick Facts: Minnesota Timberwolves Ownership

Majority OwnersMarc Lore and Alex Rodriguez
Prior OwnerGlen Taylor (1994 to 2025)
Sale PriceApproximately 1.5 billion dollars
Sale ApprovedJune 24, 2025 by the NBA Board of Governors
2026 Forbes ValuationAbout 3.8 billion dollars
Home ArenaTarget Center, Minneapolis
Founded1989 as an NBA expansion franchise

The Ownership Structure at a Glance

Control of the Timberwolves now sits with two lead partners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who share governing authority as part of an investment group that also includes former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt as limited partners.

Below is a simple breakdown of who holds what role in the ownership group.

Marc Lore

Co Controlling Owner, e commerce entrepreneur and founder of Jet.com and Wonder Group

Alex Rodriguez

Co Controlling Owner, former Major League Baseball star and businessman

Limited Partners

Michael Bloomberg, Eric Schmidt and other minority investors

Timberwolves Ownership Timeline

The path from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez was anything but simple.

Here is how the ownership history unfolded from the franchise founding through the completed 2025 sale.

1989
Franchise Founded
The Timberwolves join the NBA as an expansion team, bringing professional basketball back to Minnesota for the first time since the Lakers left in 1960.
1994
Glen Taylor Buys the Team
Minnesota businessman Glen Taylor purchases the Timberwolves, keeping the franchise from relocating out of state.
2021
Lore and Rodriguez Agree to Buy In
Taylor agrees to sell a majority stake to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez over time in a deal valued around 1.5 billion dollars.
2024
A Dispute Erupts
Taylor claims the buyers missed a payment deadline and tries to void the agreement, sending the sale into mediation and then arbitration.
2025
Arbitration Ruling
In February 2025 a three person arbitration panel rules in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, and Taylor decides not to appeal that April.
2025
Sale Completed
On June 24, 2025 the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approves the sale, and Lore and Rodriguez officially become controlling owners of the Timberwolves and Lynx.

How the Arbitration Battle Was Won

The dispute at the center of the sale came down to a single missed deadline.

Taylor argued that Lore and Rodriguez failed to submit paperwork in time to purchase a third stake in the team, one that would have pushed their ownership share to roughly 80 percent.

The buyers countered that they had actually filed six days early, and that any delay was caused by the NBA league office itself moving slowly through its own approval process, not by any fault of their own.

Because the original purchase agreement contained an arbitration clause, the fight never reached a public courtroom.

A panel of arbitrators reviewed the paperwork trail and, in February 2025, sided fully with Lore and Rodriguez.

Rather than leave Taylor with a leftover 20 percent stake, the ruling cleared the way for a complete buyout.

Taylor weighed an appeal but ultimately dropped it in April 2025, and the NBA formally signed off on the transaction two months later. ESPN confirmed the board of governors approved the sale in a unanimous vote.

Who Are Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez

Who Are Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez

Marc Lore made his fortune building and selling e commerce companies.

He founded Diapers.com, sold it to Amazon, then started Jet.com and sold that to Walmart for roughly 3.3 billion dollars before eventually launching the grocery delivery startup Wonder Group.

Alex Rodriguez, known to most sports fans as A Rod, spent 22 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and New York Yankees, winning three American League MVP awards before retiring in 2016 and pivoting toward business and broadcasting.

The two men first partnered on real estate ventures before setting their sights on professional sports ownership, a pursuit that took several years and a great deal of patience to finally complete with the Timberwolves and Lynx.

According to Wikipedia, the pair also brought in additional limited partners to round out the ownership group and help fund the purchase.

Is Marc Lore a Good Owner

It is still early to render a full verdict, since Lore and Rodriguez only became controlling owners in the middle of 2025.

So far the early signs have been positive for Minnesota fans.

The front office retained its core basketball decision makers through the transition, the roster stayed largely intact heading into the 2025 26 season, and the team continued to invest in its young core rather than pursuing a rebuild.

Lore has publicly emphasized keeping the franchise competitive and eventually building a new practice facility and improved arena amenities, a message that has resonated with a fan base that watched the team reach the Western Conference Finals in 2025.

Ownership stability itself, after years of an unresolved sale hanging over the organization, is widely viewed around the league as a meaningful win for the franchise regardless of what comes next.

Are the Timberwolves For Sale in 2026

No. The Timberwolves are not for sale as of 2026.

Lore and Rodriguez only just completed their long fought purchase in June 2025 after years of legal wrangling with Glen Taylor, and there is no indication that either man intends to sell any part of his stake anytime soon.

Given how much effort it took to finally close the deal, both owners appear focused on stabilizing the franchise and building toward sustained success rather than exploring another sale.

That said, minority stakes in NBA teams do change hands from time to time as limited partners rotate in and out, so it would not be unusual to see small ownership adjustments among the group of limited partners even while Lore and Rodriguez retain full control of the franchise.

What the Timberwolves Are Worth in 2026

What the Timberwolves Are Worth

Even though the 2025 purchase price landed around 1.5 billion dollars, the franchise carries a noticeably higher price tag on the open market today. Forbes valued the Timberwolves at approximately 3.8 billion dollars in its 2026 NBA team valuations, placing the franchise near the bottom of the league at 29th out of 30 teams.

That gap between purchase price and market value is not unusual in a sport where nearly every franchise sale in recent years has closed at a discount relative to where Forbes pegs the team once the transaction settles.

League wide, NBA valuations have climbed sharply thanks to the new national television deal, growing global sponsorship revenue, and a wave of private equity money entering the ownership pool.

Even a lower ranked market like Minnesota has benefited from that broader tide, and continued success on the court from a team built around a genuine superstar only adds to the franchise long term financial outlook.

Anthony Edwards and the Team on the Court

The most valuable asset the new ownership group inherited is not a building or a broadcast contract, it is Anthony Edwards.

Drafted first overall in 2020, Edwards has grown into one of the most exciting young stars in basketball, signing a five year rookie extension worth roughly 244.6 million dollars in 2023 that keeps him under contract through the 2028 29 season.

Edwards led the Timberwolves on a memorable playoff run in the spring of 2025, helping the team eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers in five games before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

That deep postseason run raised expectations heading into the Lore and Rodriguez era, and the ownership group has shown every sign of building around Edwards rather than looking to reset the roster.

Target Center and the Business Side of the Franchise

The Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, an arena that has served as their home since 1990 and has undergone multiple renovation phases over the years to modernize seating, technology, and premium spaces.

The building is jointly used by the Lynx as well, giving the new ownership group a single venue to manage across both franchises.

Because Lore and Rodriguez now control both the Timberwolves and the Lynx, the two teams share business operations, sponsorship relationships, and marketing resources, a structure that mirrors how many multi team ownership groups operate across professional sports today.

How the Timberwolves Compare to the Minnesota Lynx Ownership

Because the same purchase agreement covered both franchises, the ownership picture for the Timberwolves and the Lynx is essentially identical.

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez control both teams, and the same arbitration ruling against Glen Taylor cleared the way for both sales to close on the same June 2025 timeline.

For a closer look at how that story played out on the WNBA side, including the Lynx run to the 2025 WNBA Finals under the new ownership group, see our full breakdown of who owns the Minnesota Lynx.

Fans researching ownership changes across other major leagues may also find it useful to compare structures elsewhere in professional sports, including our guide to who owns the NFL and how its franchise ownership model differs from the NBA approach used by teams like the Timberwolves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2026

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez own the Minnesota Timberwolves, having completed their purchase of the franchise from Glen Taylor in June 2025 after winning an arbitration case earlier that year.

How much did Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez pay for the Timberwolves

The purchase, which also included the Minnesota Lynx, was valued at approximately 1.5 billion dollars when the deal was originally structured back in 2021.

Why did Glen Taylor try to stop the sale

Taylor argued that Lore and Rodriguez missed a deadline to purchase an additional ownership stake, which he said voided the agreement.

An arbitration panel disagreed and ruled in favor of the buyers in February 2025.

What is the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise worth today

Forbes valued the Timberwolves at roughly 3.8 billion dollars in its 2026 NBA team valuations, ranking the franchise 29th among the league 30 teams.

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