Timberwolves and Lynx ownership deal carries reported $4.5 billion valuation

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx are changing their ownership structure in a deal that reportedly values the NBA and WNBA franchises at a combined $4.5 billion. BBC Sport reported Friday that American businessman Marc Stad is moving from minority investor to controlling owner by purchasing most of the stake held by current co-chairman Marc Lore.

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Stad is due to join former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez as co-chairman. Rodriguez confirmed the ownership changes on Friday and said he would also increase his own investment in the teams. According to his announcement, both the expanded investments and his updated responsibilities remain subject to league approval.

Rodriguez said he plans to spend more time with the organizations while serving as co-chairman, governor of the Lynx and alternate governor of the Timberwolves. His statement also identified Marc and Elisa Stad as partners in the ownership group since the teams were initially purchased, placing the latest transaction within the existing investor structure rather than introducing an entirely new ownership group.

The reported valuation represents a sharp rise from the price attached to the franchises when Lore and Rodriguez first invested. They entered the ownership process in 2021 under an agreement that valued the Timberwolves and Lynx at $1.5 billion and provided for an eventual purchase of the teams in full. BBC Sport reported that Lore and Rodriguez assumed full control last year.

ESPN first reported the latest transaction before Rodriguez issued his statement, according to the BBC. ESPN placed the combined value at $4.5 billion and characterized it as the fourth-largest franchise sale in NBA history. The figure covers both Minnesota teams, linking the NBA Timberwolves and WNBA Lynx in the same ownership deal.

The transaction arrives during a period of major NBA ownership activity. BBC Sport noted that it is the league's second significant ownership change this month, following the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers in a record deal last week. For Minnesota, the immediate confirmed outcome is a reshaped leadership group: Stad as controlling owner alongside Rodriguez as co-chairman, with Rodriguez increasing both his financial commitment and operational involvement if the leagues approve the changes.