Timberwolves Notes: McDaniels, Randle, Garnett
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels sat out Tuesday’s game vs. New York due to a left oblique contusion, but it doesn’t appear the injury will necessitate a multi-game absence. After initially being listed as questionable to play on Thursday in Denver, McDaniels has been upgraded to probable, according to the team (Twitter link).
McDaniels is in the midst of a breakout year for Minnesota. The 25-year-old has always been considered a strong defender, having earned a spot on the All-Defensive second team in 2024, but he has emerged as a more dangerous offensive threat this season. His 15.0 points and 2.6 assists per game are career highs, as is his 40.0% mark on three-point attempts and his 86.8% free throw percentage.
We have more on the Wolves:
- Facing his former team on Tuesday, Julius Randle had just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting through three quarters, then led the Timberwolves to a victory over the Knicks by pouring in 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the final frame. While Randle admits he felt like he had something to prove last season in games against the team that traded him away, he said he has moved past that now, according to Jon Krawczynski and Fred Katz of The Athletic. “I’m over it,” Randle said. “I had a great time in New York, accomplished a lot of great things. The city was great to me, but I’m happy to be here in Minnesota, playing in front of the fans every day, being a part of this team. I’m home. Where I’m at is home. So I think I’ve kind of got past that, and I’m just happy where I am now.”
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Krawczynski takes a closer look at Kevin Garnett‘s return to the franchise, explaining that the Hall of Famer joining the Timberwolves as an ambassador was years in the making. Reconciling with Garnett following his feud with former team owner Glen Taylor was one of the top priorities for Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez when they came aboard. “Everywhere we went around, not only Minnesota, but all around the country, all Minnesota Timberwolves fans wanted to know was, when is Kevin coming back into the organization?” Rodriguez said.
- In case you missed it earlier in the week, Hornets guard Collin Sexton is reportedly among the players the Timberwolves have done their homework on as they consider possible trade targets to upgrade their backcourt.
Kevin Garnett Rejoins Wolves As Team Ambassador, Will Have Jersey Retired
1:20 pm: The Timberwolves have officially announced that Garnett has been hired as a team ambassador and will have his No. 21 jersey retired at a later date. Garnett said in a statement that he’s “thrilled to be back home.”
“The Big Ticket is back! Kevin Garnett is synonymous with the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Lore and Rodriguez said in a statement of their own. “Bringing Kevin home has been a priority since we acquired the teams. He is the greatest player in Timberwolves history, and his impact on our franchise and community is immeasurable. This is more than a reunion—it’s a statement about honoring our past while pursuing excellence and building one of the most admired sports organizations in the world. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome him home.”
8:48 am: Kevin Garnett is returning to the Timberwolves in an “all-encompassing” role, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports that the former star forward will be involved with the team’s business, community, and fan engagement efforts, as well as content development.
The Timberwolves also intend to retire Garnett’s No. 21 jersey at some point within the next year or two, Charania adds.
A Hall of Famer who began his playing career in Minnesota, Garnett made 10 All-Star teams and won a Most Valuable Player award during his 12-year stint with the Timberwolves from 1995-2007. He later returned to the team for a season-and-a-half in 2015-16 before calling it a career.
However, Garnett had a bitter feud with former team owner Glen Taylor, so while he repeatedly professed a love for Minnesota and Timberwolves fans, he had a frosty relationship with the franchise after his retirement.
Garnett’s long-running beef with Taylor reportedly began when a plan to rejoin the organization once his playing days were over fell apart following the death of former Wolves president and head coach Flip Saunders. Garnett, who believes Taylor reneged on an agreement between them, said in 2020 that he would never forgive Taylor for it, adding, “I don’t do business with snakes.”
During the protracted process that eventually saw majority control of the Timberwolves change hands, multiple reports indicated that incoming owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were eager to reconcile with Garnett and wanted to retire his jersey.
After a legal battle that saw Taylor try to retain control of the franchise, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, who were permitted to move forward with their purchase of Taylor’s remaining stake — the NBA’s Board of Governors officially approved that deal in June, clearing a path for Lore and Rodriguez to repair the team’s relationship with Garnett and bring him aboard in a formal capacity.
We don’t yet know what Garnett’s official title will be, and it remains possible that his role will evolve after he formally rejoins the team. However, Charania’s report doesn’t suggest that the longtime NBA star will be involved in the Wolves’ basketball operations department, which remains the domain of Tim Connelly.
Timberwolves Hire NHL Panthers’ Caldwell As CEO
The Timberwolves have hired Matthew Caldwell as Chief Executive Officer of the organization, effective Sept. 2, according to a team press release.
Caldwell will oversee day-to-day business operations and high-level strategic initiatives for the Timberwolves, WNBA Lynx, and G League Iowa Wolves. New team owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez gave Caldwell, who had served as President and CEO of the NHL Florida Panthers the past nine years, a 10-year contract.
Caldwell is the first major hire by Lore and Rodriguez since the NBA’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale of the franchise following a lengthy legal battle with previous majority owner Glen Taylor. The Panthers have won the last two Stanley Cups.
“I’m honored and humbled to join the Timberwolves and Lynx organization at such a pivotal moment in its history,” Caldwell said in a statement. “I am inspired by Marc and Alex’s vision and passion for Minnesota basketball and their commitment to excellence. I look forward to making my mark across the organization, and to building a lasting foundation that gives Minnesota basketball fans what they deserve – the best experience in sports, bar none.”
Caldwell’s leadership played an instrumental role behind the Panthers’ most successful period in franchise history which culminated with the organization being named 2025 Sports Business Journal Team of the Year. Caldwell first joined the Panthers in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer, before being appointed CEO in 2016, at which time he was the youngest CEO in U.S. professional sports at age 36.
“Our vision is for the Timberwolves and Lynx to set a new standard of excellence in pro sports and we’re confident that Matthew is the leader needed to make that a reality,” Lore and Rodriguez said in a joint statement. “Leading our organization into an innovative new era requires an exceptional individual at the helm and Matthew’s proven track record leading the business of the Florida Panthers is undeniable. We can’t wait to see the remarkable impact his bold leadership will have on this organization.”
Panthers owner Vincent Viola calls Caldwell’s departure “bittersweet,” according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“There are very few opportunities I would advise him to pursue, but working with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore on a global platform like the NBA is at the top of that list,” Voila said.
Caldwell will take over responsibilities from interim CEO Kelly Laferriere, who has led the organization during its ownership transition period. Laferriere will assume the role of senior advisor to ownership. Tim Connelly will continue to oversee oversee basketball operations.
Timberwolves’ New Owners Prepared To Continue Paying Tax
After paying a franchise-record $90.4MM in luxury tax penalties last season, the Timberwolves are now under new ownership. But the transfer from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez won’t make the team any less inclined to pay a tax bill, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
As Vorkunov relays, Lore said this week that he and Rodriguez are prepared to continue being taxpayers as long as they think it benefits the franchise in both the short and long term.
“We think about it like we do a startup, where startups lose money, but they’re investing because it’s creating enterprise value over the long term,” Lore said. “And I think that’s the way we think about. It is investing in the team, in winning, creates long-term franchise value. That’s not over the next three to five years, but 10 to 20, the next 50 years, even.
“So, we’re prepared to invest, we’re prepared to lose money to create a winning culture. But a sustainable winning culture, not just a one year — you’re not going to see us do what maybe people might expect us to do, which is come in as owners and make some big flashy move. We’re being very methodical about the decisions we make, and we’re thinking in every decision what’s in the best interest of building a long-term, sustainable culture of winning.”
While the Timberwolves have fallen short of a championship, they’ve appeared in the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons and were able to re-sign forwards Julius Randle and Naz Reid to new deals in free agency this month. Those signings pushed Minnesota’s team salary well above the tax line again in 2025/26.
However, because the Wolves aren’t as far above the tax line this season, don’t qualify as a repeater taxpayer, and will benefit from reduced penalties for the first two tax brackets, their year-end tax bill should come in significantly lower than last season’s $90MM+. Their projected bill will depend on how they fill out their roster — they currently have 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts.
Northwest Notes: Boozer, Bradley, OKC, Timberwolves
The Jazz‘s reconfigured front office is leaning on former Utah forward Carlos Boozer and former longtime NBA guard Avery Bradley to help prep for Wednesday and Thursday’s NBA draft, observes Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“This place has really transformed,” Boozer told Jones. “But, I want to do my part to build this team back up to being a contender, because that’s where this franchise belongs. I love this fan base and this town. It reminds me of my hometown in Alaska. So, this has been a huge honor, and it’s brought back so many memories.”
As Jones notes, both Boozer and Bradley know something about being under-the-radar draft gems.
“I think having the perspective of being a player is helpful,” Bradley said. “Seeing players that could model and resemble some of the players that we’ve played with and have been in locker rooms with helps. What Carlos and I have wanted to do is help Austin (Ainge) and Justin (Zanik) and Danny (Ainge) in the process.”
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- After claiming their first title together on Sunday, the Thunder’s new big three of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA wing Jalen Williams, and big man Chet Holmgren could form the core of a new dynasty, posits Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “These guys represent all that’s good at a young age,” longtime Oklahoma City president Sam Presti said. “They prioritize winning, they prioritize sacrifice, and it just kind of unfolded very quickly…. Age is a number. Sacrifice and maturity is a characteristic, and these guys have it in spades.”
- With the Timberwolves’ sale officially approved by the league, now-former majority owners Glen and Becky Taylor have penned a thank-you message to Minnesota fans, via a Timberwolves press release. Taylor leaves the Timberwolves in a good place, with the club anchored by All-NBA superstar guard Anthony Edwards and fresh off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances. “Though we are stepping away as owners, our love for this organization and this community remains as strong as ever,” the Taylors write. “We will always be fans, cheering from our seats, celebrating your triumphs, and believing in what comes next.”
- Incoming new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about their vision for the franchise moving forward. “Let’s make it very clear,” Rodriguez said. “Marc and I are not making basketball decisions… What we’ve learned is some of the best governors throughout sports, they spend most of their time in the front end hiring the right people. … We give them guidelines, we give them budgets, and then Tim (Connelly) can cook. And then we stay out of his way. That’s also really important.”
Board Of Governors Unanimously Approves Timberwolves Sale
The NBA’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the controlling interests in the Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link). The transaction is expected to close this week.
According to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the transfer will occur on Wednesday.
The BOG’s approval ends a lengthy battle for majority control of the franchise.
“We are honored to lead the Timberwolves and Lynx into a bold and exciting new era,” Lore said in a statement released by the Timberwolves. “Today marks a momentous milestone for us, and we fully recognize the great responsibility that comes with serving as stewards of these exceptional franchises. We are committed to building an organization that sets the standard for excellence, is universally admired, and rooted in pride that spans generations.”
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to the world of sports; not just as a game, but as a powerful force that unites people, uplifts communities, and changes lives,” Rodriguez added in the same statement. “I’m incredibly honored and energized to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I know what it takes to be a champion, and I’m ready to bring that same commitment and drive to create a winning culture in Minnesota.”
Taylor nixed the previous tiered payment agreement with Lore and Rodriguez in the spring of 2024, citing a breach of contract and a failure to meet a payment deadline. Lore and Rodriguez disputed that characterization, stating that they had the funds necessary to become majority owners but were awaiting NBA approval and should have been entitled to an extension.
The third payment that was in dispute would have increased Lore and Rodriguez’ share from 36% to about 80% and the purchase agreement stipulated that they could buy out Taylor’s remaining 20% stake anytime before March 2025.
The dispute went to mediation and then a November 2024 arbitration hearing. The arbitrators ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez in February. Taylor eventually chose not to appeal the decision, clearing the way for the Board of Governors to vote on the sale. Lore and Rodriguez needed at least 23 votes from the BOG.
Taylor is selling 100% ownership to the Lore/Rodriguez group at the $1.5 billion valuation that was initially agreed upon in 2021. The franchise’s value has increased substantially since that deal was made, which was believed to be a major factor in Taylor’s efforts to try to halt the sale.
Hine notes that Forbes recently estimated the Wolves value at $3.1 billion, with Sportico saying the Lynx are valued at $85MM.
Lore and Rodriguez will serve as co-chairmen, with Lore assuming the role of the Timberwolves’ governor and Rodriguez as alternate governor.
Wolves Rumors: Durant, Ownership, Connelly, FAs, Conley
The Timberwolves and Suns both operated above the second tax apron during the 2024/25 season, which means it would have been extremely difficult for the two teams to construct a trade that sent Kevin Durant to Minnesota at the February deadline. Still, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that the Wolves made a real effort to land the star forward four months ago (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).
“It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst goes on to acknowledge that the pre-deadline Wolves weren’t playing as well as they eventually performed down the stretch and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, so their level of interest in Durant may not be the same this offseason as it was at the time. And even with some money coming off their books this offseason, a deal for a player earning $54.7MM would be tricky to pull off.
Still, Windhorst notes that president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has a history of taking big swings on the trade market, making the Wolves a potential team to watch if Durant is on the trade block.
“I’m not arguing that Durant’s going to end up in Minnesota,” Windhorst said. “I’m just saying, if you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big (Rudy) Gobert trade. He made the big Julius Randle and (Donte) DiVincenzo trade. He’s shown the propensity to make big deals.”
The Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in building their roster around Anthony Edwards this offseason, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who writes that the new ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez has put together a “deep-pocketed group” of partners and would be comfortable continuing to pay luxury tax penalties going forward.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote to formally approve the Lore/Rodriguez ownership group sometime in late June, sources tell Krawczynski. The new owners plan to more aggressively invest in the business side of the franchise, Krawczynski continues, which includes making plans for a new arena.
- Two team sources reiterated to The Athletic that there’s optimism about the Wolves’ ability to work out a new contract with Connelly, who has an opt-out clause in his current deal this offseason. According to Krawczynski, while Lore and Rodriguez are involved in major roster decisions, they trust Connelly to make the moves he believes are necessary. Connelly’s easy-going personality has “helped relax what could often be a nervous, downtrodden basketball operations department,” Krawczynski adds.
- With Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker all potentially reaching free agency this summer (Randle and Reid hold player options), Krawczynski believes the likeliest outcome is that two of those three players will remain in Minnesota, with one of them departing.
- Mike Conley spoke after the Wolves’ Game 5 loss on Wednesday as if he plans to return for his 19th season, but he’ll likely take on a reduced workload, so it’s crucial that the Wolves find another productive point guard, either in-house (ie. Rob Dillingham) or by bringing in a veteran, says Krawczynski. “I think my role is one that I’ve been willing to do anything,” Conley said. “Just play any amount of minutes, start, come off the bench. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. Whatever is best for the team.”
Wolves Notes: Ownership Battle, Gobert, Alexander-Walker, DiVincenzo
The nearly year-long battle that Glen Taylor waged to keep control of the Timberwolves gave Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez more time to improve their financial position, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Taylor gave up that fight this week and reportedly won’t appeal an arbitration case that was decided in favor of the new owners.
As Krawczynski writes, Lore and Rodriguez were able to secure former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as a minority investor and set aside $950MM in an escrow account. Although they still need formal approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors, having that much cash on hand takes away any financial concerns about their ability to operate the team.
Sources tell Krawczynski that the long-running dispute has ended any plans of having Taylor remain as a limited partner after the sale is finalized. Taylor will be fully bought out, and complete control will be transferred to the Lore-Rodriguez group, which also includes former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and several other high-profile investors.
Krawczynski speculates that Taylor, who underwent hip surgery in December, wanted to put the issue behind him now that he’s feeling better physically. He also recognized that it’s difficult to get an arbitrator’s decision reversed, and he doesn’t want to be responsible for the team’s tax bill of nearly $90MM when the league’s fiscal year ends this summer.
There’s more from Minnesota:
- Rudy Gobert‘s presence in the middle gives the Wolves hope of recapturing the dominant defense that led the NBA last season, Krawczynski adds in a separate story. The team has been more sporadic this year, Krawczynski observes, ranking sixth in defensive efficiency, but Gobert is asserting himself more as the playoffs approach. “I just try to set the tone,” he said. “I know that when I do that, it’s contagious for the team. For me, it’s really important to do it for the first minute of the game to the last and in practice every day and in the weight room. Wherever I’m at, I try to lead by example.”
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker described himself as “lost” when he was sent to Minnesota along with Mike Conley at the 2023 trade deadline, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Alexander-Walker has developed into a valuable rotation player, but he feared at the time that his NBA career might be close to an end. “Traded twice in 18 hours, not knowing what my reality of my career was gonna be,” he recalled. “Especially going into year four, I truly believed this could be my last year, going into my contract year, haven’t really had the opportunity to show what I could do.”
- In an interview with Simone Sandri of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Donte DiVincenzo said he hopes to play for Italy at EuroBasket this summer. DiVincenzo recently talked to officials from the Italian national team and just has to finalize his passport. “I would say yes, we are all on the same wavelength,” he said. “For me it would be great to represent Italy, now we just have to wait for the documents to arrive.”
Glen Taylor To Cede Control Of Timberwolves To Lore, Rodriguez
Longtime Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has decided not to appeal an arbitration ruling in favor of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and will sell his controlling interest in the franchise to the minority stakeholders, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
When Lore and Rodriguez reached an agreement in the spring of 2021 to buy the Timberwolves from Taylor, the succession plan called for the new owners to initially come aboard as minority stakeholders with a 20% share of the franchise.
The duo then had until the end of 2022 to exercise an option to purchase approximately another 20% and had until the end of 2023 to exercise their option for an additional 40% stake, bringing their total share to 80% in 2024 — that plan would have made them the controlling owners a year ago.
However, the process hit a snag in March 2024 when Taylor announced he would be retaining control of the Timberwolves, citing a breach of contract and a failure to meet a payment deadline. Lore and Rodriguez disputed that characterization, stating that they had the funds necessary to become majority owners but were awaiting NBA approval and should have been entitled to an extension.
After mediation failed to resolve the dispute between the two sides, it advanced to an arbitration hearing. A three-person arbitration panel voted in favor of Lore and Rodriguez in February, and Taylor has been weighing his options since then.
Rather than continuing his fight to retain the franchise, Taylor has agreed to sell 100% ownership to the Lore/Rodriguez group at the $1.5 billion valuation that was initially agreed upon in 2021, according to Charania, who says that decision was made after the two sides held discussions over the past six weeks.
The franchise’s value has increased substantially since that deal was made (as of December, Sportico pegged it at $3.29 billion), which was believed to be a major factor in Taylor’s efforts to try to halt the sale. Still, Taylor will ultimately come out way ahead in the transaction after having reportedly paid in the neighborhood of $88-94MM to buy the Timberwolves in 1994.
There are still some final hurdles to clear before the ownership transfer is officially finalized. Most notably, the NBA’s Board of Governors will need to approve the new ownership group, which includes other investors – such as Michael Bloomberg – in addition to Lore and Rodriguez. However, there’s no reason to believe that the league will stand in the way of the sale.
Once the transfer is complete, Lore is reportedly expected to serve as the Timberwolves’ primary governor. One February report suggested that former Minnesota star Kevin Garnett – who had a long-standing feud with Taylor – will likely be hired to a position in the team’s front office when Lore and Rodriguez officially take over.
Bontemps/Windhorst’s Latest: Cap Room, Nets, Wolves FAs, Connelly
Given the lack of cap room available around the NBA this season, it’s not a great time to be entering the market as a restricted free agents, Brian Windhorst of ESPN writes in an Insider-only story.
“There’s only one team that has a lot of cap space and they may want to do a slower rebuild and aren’t looking to spend it all now,” a veteran agent told ESPN. “I’ve never seen a free agency where only one team has real cap space in my career. These free agents are f—ed.”
That “one team that has a lot of cap space” is Brooklyn — the Nets are expected to operate with between $45-60MM in room, according to Windhorst, and could open up additional space beyond that if they let certain players go. However, there’s an expectation around the league that the Nets won’t necessarily be looking to make win-now moves in free agency this summer.
“They’ve sent the message that if they do anything major with their space, it’s likely going to be through trade, not signings,” one rival executive told Windhorst. “Even if that trade doesn’t happen this summer, they’ll want to keep their options open.”
Nets general manager Sean Marks has shown in the past that he’s willing to pursue restricted free agents and give them aggressive offer sheets. During the team’s initial rebuild, Marks and his front office took that route with Allen Crabbe, Tyler Johnson, Donatas Motiejunas, and Otto Porter Jr. in a span of two years (2016-17). But there’s no indication at this point that Brooklyn plans to pursue an RFA such as Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, or Santi Aldama in the same way, which means those players may have limited leverage.
“Actually it’s no leverage,” another agent told ESPN. “I’ve prepared my clients for a free agent recession this summer. Next year will be different, the cap will be going up and teams will clean up their books as they deal with the new spending rules. So you may have to wait and try again.”
Here’s more from Windhorst and his ESPN colleague Tim Bontemps:
- Examining the Timberwolves‘ upcoming free agent decisions, Bontemps says multiple scouts and executives believe that guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker could command a deal in the range of the full mid-level exception, since he has been a reliable three-and-D role players and is entering his prime years. As our projections show, a full four-year mid-level contract in 2025/26 is expected to be worth in excess of $60MM.
- Sources around the NBA believes that both Julius Randle and Naz Reid will return to the Timberwolves next season, according to Bontemps. Both power forwards hold player options for 2025/26, with Randle’s worth $29.5MM (plus incentives) and Reid’s worth $15MM. Even if both players remain in Minnesota, it’s unclear what form that would take — opting out to sign a new deal would be one path, as would opting in, with or without a new extension.
- The Timberwolves have another important free agent in their front office, having pushed back Tim Connelly‘s opt-out clause from 2024 to 2025. Team sources tell Windhorst that prospective owner Marc Lore has “made it a priority” to sign the president of basketball operations to an extension if and when he and Alex Rodriguez gain full control of the franchise.
- In case you missed it, we also passed along reporting from Windhorst and Bontemps on the Pacers and starting center Myles Turner. That story can be found here.