Alex Rodriguez may have hung his cleats and said goodbye to baseball, but sports business—well, in that he is very much hands-on. He has a lot on his plate, starting with the most important—the arbitration case. Now A-Rod along with Marc Lore are gearing up for a big moment on November 4th. The duo is heading for an arbitration case that could decide the future of the Minnesota Timberwolves. So this isn’t just any case. It’s a proper showdown to settle the spat with Glen Taylor, the majority owner.

If the Lore/Rodriguez wagon plans go their way, they could take control of the team. Not to mention that they are extremely confident in where they stand. Why? Well, they have financial backing! When they walk into that arbitration room, they walk in with $900 million in escrow, plus $200 million in working capital. And well, this kind of cash flow shows that they mean business and are ready to purchase the rest of the stakes.

Alex Rodriguez geared up to win arbitration with money muscle

If you are delivered by that big amount, it’s because Alex Rodriguez and Loore have serious financial backing. From the former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and media titans like Michael Bloomberg—big names are involved. And it’s essentially a high-stakes game now. In fact, with that support, they could purchase all the 60% remaining steaks in the Timberwolves, which is valued at $1.5 billion. Moreover, these big names, along with money muscle, also bring a layer of credibility to the team. But there’s a catch!

Even if the arbitrator sides with A-Rod, it’s not a one-and-done deal. All 29 other governors have to cast their vote on the sale. And that could be the deal-breaker here! But it seems like the Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez group is confident that the deal will pass. ESPN Brian Windhorst said, “After the discovery process over the summer, Lore’s group has grown confident it will win and has gotten all of its finances in order, sources said.” And it’s because Lore and Rodriguez put work into it.

The duo met with several NBA owners to get their support, so the votes rolled in their favor. Meanwhile, the team itself is falling through financially. They traded star center Karl Anthony Towns recently to the New York Knicks. An unlikely trade between two competitions, but it was done to lighten the financial burden on the team. Given the ownership battle, the team is definitely going through a restructuring process. 

Emotional note from Rudy Gobert for his mate Karl Anthony Towns

Karl Anthony Towns’s trade to the New York Knicks is a heartbreaker for the Minnesota Timberwolves fans, for sure. But it hurts Rudy Gobert too, who shared a special bond with Towns, delivering some of the most exciting moments over the past two seasons. Gobert shared an emotional message of support for his former teammate on Instagram. The French center shared an image of two players sharing a lovely light moment in casual clothes. The caption read, “Keep writing your unique story, my brother. Grateful that I got to be a part of it.”

Towns was first drafted by the Timberwolves back in 2015, and soon he became an essential part of the team. Over the 650 games he has played, he has asserted himself as a fan favorite! He won Rookie of the Year in 2016 and then was named a four-time All-Star. But that’s not—he even earned All-NBA Third Team selections twice, which says plenty of his talent.

Rudy Gobert and Towns together helped the team propel to bigger heights. Especially during the 2022–23 season, the team made it to the playoffs for the second time in five years. Well, now things have changed, he has moved, and the team is getting geared up for a major ownership change. However, the duo of Gobert-Towns will surely be evergreen. 

What do you think will be the outcome of the arbitration? Will Alex Rodriguez win the ownership battle? Let us know in the comments if you believe all the teams will vote for the former New York Yankee star and Lore group.