Timberwolves and Lynx Change Hands in $4.5 Billion Ownership Restructure
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx have a new controlling owner, and the price tag is one of the biggest in basketball history. American businessman Marc Stad has taken over the controlling stake in the Timberwolves from co-chairman Marc Lore, with the two franchises valued at a combined $4.5 billion (£3.3 billion), according to BBC Sport.
ESPN reported that figure as the fourth-largest franchise sale in NBA history. Stad, previously a minority investor, now holds the controlling interest. He joins former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez as co-chairman, with Rodriguez confirming the change on Friday and stating he would increase his own investment in the teams.
Rodriguez also outlined the new governance structure. Marc and Elisa Stad will raise their stake and serve as co-chairmen alongside Rodriguez, who is set to become Governor of the Lynx and alternate Governor of the Timberwolves, pending league approval. The NBA's Board of Governors — the panel of team owners that votes on major transactions — unanimously approved Lore and Rodriguez's full takeover of both franchises in June 2025.
The path to this point has been winding. Lore and Rodriguez first bought into the Minnesota teams in 2021, at a $1.5 billion valuation, under an agreement to eventually purchase them outright. They assumed full control last year, clearing the final hurdle when the Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the sale.
Now the ownership group has been restructured again, with Stad stepping into the controlling role.
What stands out is the sheer scale of the valuation swing. In 2021, the Timberwolves and Lynx together were valued at $1.5 billion. Five years later, the combined price has tripled to $4.5 billion. For context, Forbes estimated the Timberwolves alone at $3.1 billion and the Lynx — Minnesota's WNBA franchise — between $230 million and $240 million. The new deal's $4.5 billion figure clears those estimates comfortably, suggesting the buyer group sees value beyond what current assessments capture.
For fans in Minnesota, the on-court picture is unlikely to shift overnight. Ownership changes at this level are about long-term capital commitments, payroll flexibility, and front-office resources — not immediate roster moves. The Timberwolves have built a competitive core around Anthony Edwards, and the Lynx remain one of the WNBA's most decorated franchises. Both now operate under an ownership structure that has committed serious money to the market.
The deal still requires the NBA's formal sign-off on Rodriguez's new governance roles. Until then, the reshaped group — Stad in control, Rodriguez alongside, Lore stepping back — moves forward with the franchises they valued at three times what they paid for them just five years ago.
