The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx are headed for another major ownership shift, with billionaire investor Marc Stad set to become the controlling owner and largest shareholder of both teams in a deal that values the franchises at $4.5 billion.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Stad has agreed to buy the majority of Marc Stad’s stake in the Timberwolves and Lynx. The transaction still needs NBA Board of Governors approval, with that vote scheduled for September.
Stad already has roots in the organization. As managing director of Dragonair Investment Group, he has been a significant minority investor under the ownership group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.
This move does not push Lore and Rodriguez out. Lore will keep a minority stake after choosing to step away from his co-owner and co-chairman roles, while Rodriguez will remain a co-owner and is reportedly increasing his equity percentage.
Elisa Stad is expected to become the Timberwolves governor, and Rodriguez will still be involved with both franchises. The deal reportedly came together over the past few months and was built to keep the organization steady.
That stability appears to extend to the basketball side, too. The Timberwolves are expected to keep president Tim Connelly, general manager Matt Lloyd, and head coach Chris Finch in place.
Lore’s reduced role is tied largely to his business interests away from basketball. He reportedly wants to focus on a possible IPO for Wonder Group, his food tech company.
The $4.5 billion valuation underscores just how far NBA franchise prices have climbed. When Lore and Rodriguez first agreed to buy the Timberwolves and Lynx from Glen Taylor in 2021, the teams were valued at $1.5 billion.
Now, five years later, the latest deal puts them at three times that number.
It also lands among the biggest ownership transactions in NBA history. Over the past year and a half, the Los Angeles Lakers have been valued at $12.5 billion and $10 billion in separate transactions, while the Boston Celtics were sold at a $6.1 billion valuation.
Minnesota now joins that tier at $4.5 billion.
The timing matters, too, because the Timberwolves are in a strong competitive stretch. They’ve made the playoffs in every season since Lore and Rodriguez became involved and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025.
The franchise has also shown a clear willingness to spend, paying into the luxury tax in pursuit of the Anthony Edwards championship window. That approach continued this offseason when the Timberwolves acquired LaMelo Ball to form an explosive All-Star backcourt.
For fans, the real question is whether Stad brings the same appetite for big spending and top-end competition.
Everything about the deal points toward continuity, not a reset. Lore and Rodriguez remain in the picture, the basketball leadership stays intact, and Stad already knows the organization.
At $4.5 billion, the Timberwolves’ ownership story has moved into a different financial class altogether.
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