Minnesota Timberwolves Roundup: Ownership, Isaiah Miller, Summer League

The Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t do anything in free agency, but they had a busy week nonetheless in preparation for Las Vegas Summer League.

Not only that, but Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic had an exclusive sit-down with new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, and the duo continued to express their willingness to not only keep the Wolves in the Twin Cities but to see the team thrive in the market.

Lore and Rodriguez want to keep Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis

New minority/future majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have mentioned their desire to keep the Timberwolves franchise in Minnesota on social media and briefly in public statements.

Finally, they gave a true, exclusive interview to a member of the local media. Within the course of the conversation, they reiterated their excitement to be in the Twin Cities market in no uncertain terms.

In their conversation with The Athletic’s Krawczynski (subscription required), the new owners each spoke to their prior experience in Minneapolis.

Lore said that they look forward to “immerse” themselves in the community and that both he and Rodriguez are planning to get a place in the Twin Cities. He said “it’s a great town” and that the duo “couldn’t be more excited.”

Rodriguez stated that “long term, our vision is Minnesota all the way”, talking about its tremendous upside, business culture, and great social opportunities. The former Major League superstar also said that he’s invested in “a few thousand” apartment units in the Twin Cities, which is … a lot of real estate.

It’s a great interview, and both men come across as genuine and thoughtful — both important things when making an investment that will ultimately total north of a billion dollars.

Minnesota Timberwolves sign Isaiah Miller to Exhibit 10 contract

Earlier in the week, the Wolves signed guard Isaiah Miller to an Exhibit 10 contract and included him on their roster for next week’s Las Vegas Summer League.

An Exhibit 10 contract is essentially a preferred G League contract, giving the player a signing bonus if they remain with the team’s G League affiliate once the season starts in the fall, assuming they don’t make the roster of the NBA squad.

Miller, a 6-foot guard, played four years at UNC-Greensboro. He’s a defense-first player who was named the Southern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year a shocking three times. Miller also won the conference’s award for overall Player of the Year twice during his tenure.

His offensive game is predicated on quickness and scoring in the paint, which certainly could be a challenge at the pro level. But his defense should play, and we can expect Miller to get a shot to run the show at times in Vegas next week.

Minnesota Timberwolves begin Summer League play on Monday

Of course, the Wolves Summer League squad has plenty of point guards, including two-way guard McKinley Wright IV. We can also expect Jaylen Nowell to get chances to initiate offense, and Jaden McDaniels will have his fair share of offense flow through him as well.

The Wolves’ first game is Monday night at 6 p.m. on ESPNU against the San Antonio Spurs.

We’ll have game coverage (!) … it’s been a minute, and yes, it’s summer ball, but it’s going to be great.