The Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks both entered the NBA’s Western Conference Finals as unlikely contenders, starting the year outside the top 10 in championship odds. But as surprising as their seasons have been, the biggest shocks have come from ownership, with a stunning sale and another protracted negotiation regularly making headlines.
In November, Dallas owner Mark Cuban announced an agreement to sell a majority stake in his franchise, with a twist. While the Adelson family, which runs the Las Vegas Sands casino company, would become majority owners, Cuban would remain as head of basketball operations while continuing to claim 27% of the team. The transaction valued the asset at $3.5 billion.
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As team governor, Patrick Dumont (Miriam Adelson’s son-in-law) now technically has the final say on all decisions, but Cuban has indicated that he is entrusted to make most team-related decisions. “The partnership and ultimately new and deeper revenue streams will allow us to be better,” he said in December.
At this year’s trade deadline, the team took its typically aggressive stance, adding Washington’s Daniel Gafford and Charlotte’s PJ Washington in exchange for future first-round picks. Cuban also remained a public face during games, including Wednesday’s 108-105 Game 1 win for the Mavs in Minnesota.
“If you saw me at the Games, you know it’s exactly the same,” Cuban said via email about how much he has enjoyed this playoff run given his changed role.
Meanwhile, the current ownership situation in Minnesota has been considerably more tumultuous. Current Governor Glen Taylor and potential future majority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are heading into a binding arbitration process to determine who can take charge of one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.
Lore and Rodriguez signed a deal to purchase the Timberwolves in 2021 over the course of four transactions. The two have spent much of the past three years financing the purchase. But this spring, Taylor said the deal fell through, arguing the buyers had missed a key deadline. The pair currently owns 36% and could retain that stake even if Taylor wins in arbitration. The original deal cost the T-Wolves $1.5 billion SporticoThe company’s latest valuation puts their value at approximately $2.9 billion.
“It seems to me that we should have a very positive run for a number of years,” Taylor said The Athletics in March: “and I want to be part of that.”
Lore and Rodriguez responded to Taylor’s stance by calling it “an unfortunate case of seller’s remorse that is short-sighted and disruptive to the team and fans during a historic winning season.” They claim to have followed the necessary timelines set out in the original agreement.
The League, for its part, has reportedly asked both sides to keep the disagreement out of public statements.
Each camp has gained some appreciation for the direction Minnesota now appears to be going; before this season, the franchise had not reached the second round of the NBA playoffs in two decades. Whoever ends up being the primary owner will likely end up being asked to pay a significant luxury tax to keep the new core together. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe recently put it on his podcast, “You’re in financial prison.”
A-Rod has remained close to the players despite the dispute. After the Wolves eliminated the reigning champion Denver Nuggets in a seven-game series, Rodriguez shared an extended on-court handshake with rising star Anthony Edwards.
However, if Minnesota punches its ticket to the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, it would almost certainly be Taylor — considered the state’s richest man — on stage celebrating a conference title.
On the other hand, it’s unclear whether that setting would see Dumont make his most public appearance yet as Mavs owner, or whether Cuban would win the 2011 award for the first time since Dallas and get the chance to return to the podium for the trophy presentation. NBA Finals.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Cuban said.
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