TNT held the NBA for almost 40 years and gave rise to Inside the NBA, the darling show of America. Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Johnson, and Kenny have become an adored crew in sports media. However, their indelible bond and irreplaceable dynamic are all set to come to an abrupt close due to Turner’s inability to sign a media rights deal with the NBA. While their survival hangs in the balance, the league’s projections to generate double the amount from its new media rights deal benefit most of the NBA teams. Yet, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Alex Rodriguez will have some scratching decisions to take.

According to reports, the new media rights deal is worth $76 billion over the course of 10 years. The sudden injection of mass income helps NBA teams with their salary adjustments. There will most likely be a 10% increase in the salary cap from the 2025-26 season, which is when the media rights deal kicks in.

NBA teams will have better opportunities to improve their roster and their competitiveness in the era of superteams and star partnerships. Moreover, it gives them a better margin to avoid tax. Other teams have the luxury of attaining this dual advantage, but the Timberwolves can choose either one.

According to Spotrac, the 2025-26 season salary cap is likely to be set at $155 million, a 10% hike(maximum according to new CBA agreements) from the next season. The Timberwolves have to cumulatively shed $145 million to pay only Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert. This places them to pay the second apron of the luxury tax.

Their active payroll, which is divided in between just nine players stands at $205 million. This suggests they would be paying a minimum of $31 million in tax bills. The figure will imminently rise once by the time they sign a minimum of 14 players to their roster. So while the saddening break-up of Shaquille O’Neal and the Inside crew will benefit others, Alex Rodriguez and the management are left with two choices.

To avoid the bill, they will have to trade one of their major core pieces to cut the additional salary, likely to be either Towns or Gobert after their playoff debacle. Secondly, they can accept the luxury tax at the expense of staying competitive with their current championship-worthy core. A tough few years await the Minnesota team who only just defied the odds and made a run to the WCF.

If you were A-Rod, what would your move be? Let us know in the comments below.

The Golden State Warriors enjoyed an advantage the Timberwolves can’t

In 2016, the NBA was in an identical state. A new media rights deal was negotiated worth $24 billion with Warner Bros. Discovery and ESPN being the holders of them. During that day, there was no agreement in the CBA over the rise in the salary cap. So it took a steep hike, going from $70 million to $94 million. It was a historic jump of 32%.

Which team got the better end of the stick? The Warriors. However, it didn’t just help them keep a roster together like Alex Rodriguez wishes to do with the Timberwolves. The space created due to the extreme increase allowed them to famously accommodate Kevin Durant in that offseason. It would be a move that kickstarted their dynasty and won them two consecutive championships.

While a treasure in the dark for the Bay, it was a lesson for the league. In the new collective bargaining agreement in 2023, they negotiated a maximum 10% increase in the total salary cap annually. Hence why, there will never be another dynasty born out of fortune like the Warriors did.

Unlucky for the Timberwolves, who are young and feisty but can’t have the best of both worlds.