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via Imago

via Imago

With everything that has transpired in the last few months, the Timberwolves’ season has been a roller coaster of emotions. On one hand, Anthony Edwards and Co. are fighting hard to compete for a Championship. Meanwhile, behind the curtains, the chaos about their ownership dispute is escalating further. After majority owner Glen Taylor pulled out of the 2021 agreement that would have transferred the franchise’s control to minority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, the dispute is likely to head toward arbitration. Amid the legal battle, a riveting detail of the two minority owners rejecting Taylor’s attempt at keeping their relationship intact has thickened the plot even more.

Revealing the details as told to him by some witnesses, former ESPN employee Pablo Torre claimed that the recent interactions between the Timberwolves’ owners have been rather awkward, “Glen keeps going up to them and hugging them. These have been described to me by witnesses as one-way hugs.” Painting a detailed picture, Torre told his audience to imagine the palpable awkwardness of a visibly uncomfortable A-Rod being forcefully hugged by a multi-billionaire whom he most likely isn’t the most impressed with.

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Yes, it’s the same Glen Taylor who nullified the $1.5 billion agreement in March, claiming that the duo failed to meet the terms of the agreement ahead of the deadline. To make things even more awkward, Torre said that Glen is always seen smiling throughout the whole ordeal and once even asked Marc Lore, “Marc, why aren’t you smiling?”.

Maybe, the eighty-three-year-old wants to keep a healthy relationship with Marc and Alex despite their ongoing dispute, or maybe, it is just a show of power for the multi-billionaire. While we might never find out the true reason for Taylor’s actions, Torre’s co-host said, “That is such a big bank take little bank energy.”

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Can A-Rod and Lore take control of the Wolves?

Disregarding Taylor’s claims, Rodriguez and Lore have publicly come out saying that the 83-year-old only backed out of the deal because he was feeling “seller’s remorse” after watching the franchise do far better than expected and exponentially increasing its value. With the rise of Anthony Edwards in the last four years, it was projected that the franchise’s value would increase up to fifty percent from two years ago ($1.7 billion) to last October ($2.5 billion).

And considering that the Wolves are now only one win away from reaching the Conference Finals, their value will only go up and up from here. With that, there is a possibility that Taylor might have realized that selling the team for far less than what it is worth now was a huge mistake.

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However, feeling betrayed by Taylor, Alex and Lore are ready to take the legal route and get what should have been theirs, as per the agreement. With reports suggesting that the duo had already raised the $600 million to complete the multi-part deal, and had also submitted paperwork to the league to give them a ninety-day extension that the agreement entitled them to, multiple high-profile lawyers believe that the minority owners have a strong case against Taylor.

So, with so much evidence supporting their case, it is highly likely that the duo will eventually win the dispute and get the remaining forty percent control in the franchise, making them majority owners. What do you think?