A-Rod, partner strike out in bid to control Wolves, Lynx
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx are no longer for sale, majority owner Glen Taylor said Thursday.
Taylor confirmed the expiration of the option of retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez and former Walmart eCommerce CEO Marc Lore to acquire controlling interest of the NBA’s Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx.
Rodriguez and Lore exercised their option to buy another 40 percent of the teams in December, opening a 90-day window to close the deal. That window shut Wednesday.
“I will continue to work with Marc, Alex and the rest of the ownership group to ensure our teams have the necessary resources to compete at the highest levels on and off the court,” Taylor said in a statement. “The Timberwolves and Lynx are no longer for sale.”
Lore and Rodriguez would have taken over controlling interest in the clubs had the agreement been finalized.
They began the $1.5 billion purchase in 2021 with their investment in the first 20 percent. They added the second 20 percent in March 2023 when they made a $290 million payment.
The deal was thrown into question last week when the financial backer of Rodriguez and Lore, the
Carlyle Group, couldn’t reach agreement regarding requirements for those investing in the NBA with the pair, The Athletic reported.
One day later, Rodriguez and Lore appeared to have obtained financing from another group and filed paperwork with the NBA to complete the deal. And in a statement issued Thursday, they said they were prepared to move ahead with the purchase.
“We are disappointed with Glen Taylor’s public statement today. We have fulfilled our obligations, have all necessary funding and are fully committed to closing our purchase of the team as soon as the NBA completes its approval process,” Rodriguez and
Lore said. “Glen Taylor’s statement is an unfortunate case of seller’s remorse that is short-sighted and disruptive to the team and the fans during a historic winning season.”
ETC.
Golf: Wyndham
Clark is optimistic that he will be able to compete in the Texas Children’s Houston Open after sustaining a back injury earlier this week.
The tournament started Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.
Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world and reigning U.S. Open champion, said Wednesday that he was injured while lifting weights on Monday.
“I was in Scottsdale, I was working out,” Clark said. “Body’s been really healthy and I just got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and back went. It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn. I’m trending in the right direction, I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day.”
Clark, 30, acknowledged that he’d like to play in this tournament with The Masters approximately two weeks away. That said, he’ll let his back ultimately make that decision.
College basketball: Iowa forward Patrick McCaffery, son of coach
Fran McCaffery, has entered the transfer portal, according to the school.
Patrick McCaffery has one season of eligibility remaining after playing in 123 games for the Hawkeyes over the past four-plus seasons.
McCaffery has career averages of 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds while starting 60 games. This season, he averaged 8.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 31 games (15 starts).
During the 2022-23 season, McCaffery took a six-game leave of absence to address anxiety issues.
The 6-foot-9 McCaffery finished this season strong with 19 points on 7 of 9 shooting in Sunday’s 91-82 season-ending loss to Utah in the second round of the NIT. He scored in single digits in each of the previous six games.