The Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t going anywhere
The Minnesota Timberwolves ownership is reportedly changing soon, with baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez and billionaire Marc Lore finalizing a deal to eventually take over ownership of the team.
First, the pair will be minority owners. However, in 2023, the two will take control of the team.
Reportedly, Taylor made it a part of the agreement to keep the team in Minneapolis. That said, it is unknown how enforceable that portion of the sale is going to be – especially several years down the road.
The Timberwolves had the least number of fans at their games in 2019-20, only filling 79-percent of their stadium on any given night. The team, in more successful years, has been able to reach league-average attendance.
All of that taken into account, it is still very unlikely the Timberwolves are relocated in the near future, at least. The NBA has made a notable push to add 1-2 expansion teams due to the revenue lost over the course of the past calendar year (because of the COVID-19 pandemic).
The main markets most likely to be added to the league are Seattle and Las Vegas. That said, it does not look as though there is another market that immediately needs a basketball team – and remaining in Minnesota might be the best option.
The NBA has not expanded since the Bobcats replaced the Charlotte Hornets in 2004, and the expansion prior to that was about ten years before – when the Raptors and Grizzlies joined the league.
The Timberwolves might be the most likely team to relocate of any NBA franchise. They are usually near the bottom of the league in attendance – and barely scrape the middle of the pack during their best seasons.
Still, with an agreement to keep the team in Minnesota (at least in the short-term) as well as the NBA likely banking on adding at least one expansion franchise, it does not look as though the Timberwolves will be leaving anytime soon. Especially without any major markets without a basketball franchise.
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For all of his faults, one of the respectable things about Glen Taylor is his commitment to keeping the Timberwolves in Minneapolis.