The battle for the control of the Minnesota Timberwolves finally comes to an end. After a dispute over contract payments moved to arbitration, the panel ruled in favor of Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. The tandem revealed they are “extremely pleased with today’s decision” as they await the opportunity to get the keys to the NBA and WNBA franchises. The same can’t be said for Glen Taylor.

Taylor purchased the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1994. In the initial agreements, Taylor’s $94 million purchase price saw an astronomic increase with A-Rod and Lore’s $1.5 billion offer. However, in the three years of part payments, Anthony Edwards‘ and the Timberwolves’ value grew at a rapid rate too. According to the new ownership, that’s the reason Taylor decided to impede the sale.

Now with the ruling not going in his favor, Glen Taylor released a statement expressing his disappointment about losing the team he’s owned for three decades. “[Wife] Becky and I were disappointed by this 2-1 decision by the panel. We will review this 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 83-year-old revealed in his statement as per ESPN.

But as it stands, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Lynx will soon have new leadership. Alex Rodriguez and Lore’s long dream of gaining full control is only pending league approval. They were always confident it would happen. But for the team and it’s fans, this will surely be a huge relief.

Alex Rodriguez and Lore have great support within the Timberwolves

Before the unfortunate saga between Taylor kicked off, Rodriguez and Marc Lore announced their undying commitment to Minnesota. They assured fans of the team remaining in the city. Furthermore, they had a vision to make the Wolves the “grittiest” and hard-working team in the NBA. That starts by gaining the support of like-minded players.

From not knowing the MLB legend, Anthony Edwards has come a long way to forming a relationship with the new majority owner. Particularly, Edwards loves A-Rod’s player-first approach. And although there might have been reports about them considering tailoring the Wolves’ salary, Ant-Man is assured of their intentions to win.

And while Rodriguez could limit the team’s payroll to focus on the future, his trust within Edwards is unwavering. “We’re so lucky to have a guy like Anthony Edwards right here… Number one, they don’t realize that he’s the fastest, strongest, most competitive, highest jumper… he’s got all of that in spades,” A-Rod said last year. 

Although this season hasn’t reflected the success the Wolves found in 2023-24, the team has the foundations to improve in the future. Anthony Edwards remains at the centre of it all. And with great support from the new ownership, he is bound to be the ace that they build around to inch closer towards their goal of  “winning championships in Minnesota”.