The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx are heading into a shakeup at the ownership level. Front Office Sports reported that Marc Lore is selling his majority stake to limited partner Marc Stad in a deal that values the Timberwolves and Lynx at $4.5 billion. 

“Marc Lore is selling his controlling stake in the Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx in a deal that values the team at $4.5 billion,” Front Office Sports reported on X.

Lore and Rodriguez only gained full control of the franchise in June 2025 after a lengthy process that began with their initial investment in 2021 of $1.5 billion, as per the BBC.

“Lore is selling the team just 14 months after taking over in Minnesota,” Front Office Sports’ X handle added.

Stad will basically swap roles with Lore, becoming the majority owner while Lore becomes a minority owner. Rodriguez is also expected to increase his investment in the team.

The $4.5 billion valuation would make it the fourth-largest franchise sale in NBA history and comes only days after the Los Angeles Lakers were sold at a record $12.5 billion.

For Lore, the change is tied to his focus on Wonder, his food delivery startup, reported by Dave Campbell of AP. He has started the process of taking the company public, giving him another business priority outside Minnesota's basketball franchises.

The ownership change comes at an interesting point for both teams, too. The Timberwolves have established themselves as a serious Western Conference contender in recent years, while the Lynx have remained one of the WNBA's strongest franchises.

That makes the next question less about whether Minnesota's direction will change and more about how much of the current structure will remain intact.

Marc Stad is taking over without a complete reset

The incoming ownership group has already indicated that it does not intend to make sweeping changes simply because the controlling stake is changing hands.

According to Dave Campbell of Associated Press via ABC News, Lore, Stad and Rodriguez said they stay committed to the current leadership, including Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, head coach Chris Finch and Lynx president of basketball operations and head coach Cheryl Reeve.

The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025 before losing in the second round last season, while the Lynx have continued to compete near the top of the WNBA; thus, the continuity of both their structures matters.

The $4.5 billion valuation highlights that the value of Minnesota's basketball franchises has grown, but what comes next will depend on the new ownership structure.

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Written by

Rudra Dubey