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The Minnesota Timberwolves threw everything they possibly could at LeBron James to try to persuade him to chase a championship with them. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball got on the phone with him. Alex Rodriguez led ownership’s pitch given their common ground as superstar athletes who have become business moguls. Tim Connelly’s longstanding working relationship with Rich Paul helped the two have extended conversations on the fit for James in Minnesota. Throughout the process, team sources said, the Timberwolves felt like James and his camp were giving them full consideration for his 24th season. Those sources spoke on condition of anonymity to be able to speak candidly about private negotiations. They always knew it was a long shot, but the prospect of putting James in a starting lineup alongside Edwards, Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert was something they had to pursue all the way to the end.
Darren Wolfson: "I know from Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez down to Tim Connelly, to Chris Finch, to Pablo Prigioni, Elston Turner, others on the coaching staff, other guys, that the Wolves feel like they have a really good infrastructure in place to help LaMelo mature that much more. And there is a thought from the deep dive that they've done, that LaMelo took a big step forward last year, certainly on the court. We can have the conversation about the car accident off the court, but on the court, accepting playing lesser minutes, playing 28 minutes a night compared to 35 minutes a night. You look at that Charlotte Hornets offense, number one in the league from January 1st on. They were also a really good defense from January 1st on. LaMelo Ball drove a lot of that. The Wolves also feel like with their medical staff in place, and hey, recent history says this is a fact, the Wolves do a really good job of keeping their guys on the court compared to the rest of the league."
Darren Wolfson: "I would lean the Cavaliers if I had to bet right this second. But the Wolves, I checked again in the last 12-ish hours. It's not like the Wolves have been told they are out. I do think it's noteworthy that on the latest episode of Rich Paul's podcast, which is also available on YouTube, he singled out the Wolves, but also when discussing the Wolves, name-dropped Tim Connelly, then brought up the ownership group, Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez. Connect those dots. It's not some sort of big world. Sports, sports business, sports entertainment. You think about A-Rod, all his accomplishments, plus his business happenings. It's pretty clear we can connect the dots. There is a connection there. Rich Paul, Alex Rodriguez. When you think about the star stature of Alex Rodriguez, why wouldn't Alex Rodriguez be involved in this process? But also Tim Connelly, his lengthy history with Rich Paul. So there have been a number of conversations, Wolves folks with Rich Paul. They have not been told they are out."
Word had started to circulate on Wednesday night that the Hornets were seriously entertaining offers on Ball, and the Timberwolves wasted no time. The final offer for Ball was prepared and sent to owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez for review and approval early Thursday morning, according to multiple team sources that spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not been officially announced.
Lore and Rodriguez looked at the offer — former Sixth Man of the Year and Timberwolves cult hero Naz Reid, an unprotected first-round pick in 2033 and three first-round pick swaps (2028, 2029, 2030) and three second-round picks (2029, 2032, 2033) to Charlotte for Ball and swingman Josh Green — and immediately gave the green light, team sources said.
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Shams Charania Tweets: Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez enter the luxury tax for the third straight year -- and the franchise makes a big move to fill the point guard spot.
Shams Charania: The Timberwolves send a haul to the Hornets for a star-studded new backcourt in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball -- the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in 2020. Charlotte didn't shop Ball in the market, but listened and received multiple rich offers before filling a significant need in the frontcourt with Reid. Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez enter the luxury tax for the third straight year -- and the franchise makes a big move to fill the point guard spot.
Also seen at the home game the Knicks lost were billionaire Jets owner Woody Johnson, “Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie, Woody Allen, President Trump, Fat Joe, Mayor Mamdani, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez Eli Manning, Rick Pitino, Francisco Lindor, Patrick Ewing, Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Allan Houston, John Franco, Juan Soto, Todd Zeile and hockey stars Jonathan Quick, Adam Fox and Vincent Trocheck.
Darren Wolfson: "There is a ceiling on this roster. The Wolves realize that. Tim Connelly realized it last summer making a push for Kevin Durant. I foresee roster changes coming. Nothing has changed on my front. We've talked about this for multiple months. They are not firing the head coach. Chris Finch has multiple years, two years left on his contract. First off, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are not cutting the big fat check to Chris Finch for millions of dollars to go away. But even so, those guys are big believers in Chris Finch. So roster changes need to come for this team to have a fighting chance the next couple years. Yes, they want to be in the Eastern Conference, but that's still a few years out if it even happens. So for the next few years, how do you compete with the Spurs and Thunder? You need another superstar. They would love to acquire Giannis."
Vinny Benedetto: Stan Kroenke and Alex Rodriguez have been chatting for a good 15 minutes now. Tim Connelly and Josh Kroenke talked before TC greeted Zeke Nnaji, Aaron Gordon and others in the Nuggets organization.
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New owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were intrigued by a potential blockbuster, team sources said, but they were not fully convinced that breaking up the young core of Edwards, McDaniels and Reid, or parting with rookie Joan Beringer, was prudent. Similar conversations and debate played out inside the front office and coaching staff.
From the very first moments that Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez joined the Minnesota Timberwolves organization, they were deluged with pleas from a forlorn fan base. Their mentions on social media were flooded with them. Anytime they would run into a Timberwolves fan in public, they would hear the demands. The surveys they distributed to fans to understand what was most important to them were dominated by one subject. Bring KG home. Please.
Garnett felt so betrayed by the ordeal that he refused to even show his face at Target Center despite several overtures from the team hoping to host him for big moments in the playoffs. He also rebuffed multiple efforts to hang his No. 21 in the rafters, an embarrassment for the fans that cut deeper than any of the team’s many 60-loss seasons, the 14-year playoff drought or passing on Steph Curry (twice) in the 2009 NBA Draft. “It was crystal clear that was one of the most impactful things we could do as owners is retire KG’s jersey and bring him back to Minnesota,” Lore told The Athletic. “And mend the relationship because he meant so much to the fans, all the community.”
The unique structure of the agreement for Lore and Rodriguez to begin as limited partners and assume majority control over the course of several years took some of the pressure off the situation. They were in no position to make any sweeping changes or promises right away, and Garnett wasn’t in a hurry to engage while Taylor was still calling the shots. Rather than trying to rush the process, Lore and Rodriguez set about trying to earn Garnett’s trust over the long haul. “In many ways, he’s our Babe Ruth for the Yankees, right?” Rodriguez said. “So it was important to start kind of going down a path of mending a relationship.”