Alex Rodriguez and Mark Lore were steadfast during Timberwolves media day Monday by reiterating that they have no plans to relocate the NBA and WNBA franchises out of Minnesota.
Speaking at a joint press conference with majority Timberwolves and Lynx owner Glen Taylor, Rodriguez raved about Minnesota’s corporate infrastructure and how “bullish” he and Lore are about the Twin Cities market.
“It’s an incredible market with great people. There’s so much value to unlock here with corporate America. We have no plans to move this. We have plans to be right here and do really exciting things and bring a championship to the city,” said Rodriguez.
Lore also stated that he sees a “great opportunity” in Minneapolis to build a new arena, though he didn’t suggest that building a new arena would be necessary to keep the team in Minnesota.
The City of Minneapolis paid for approximately 50% of the $145 million renovations of Target Center just three years ago. At 31 years old, Target Center is the second-oldest arena in the NBA, only newer than iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The newest arenas in the league were opened in 2019 in Golden State and 2018 in Milwaukee. The new home to the Bucks cost $524 million, which $250 million is being paid by taxpayers. The Warriors’ new home cost a staggering $1.4 billion, all of it privately financed since the City of San Francisco refused to aid in financing.
The 20-minute press conference featuring Taylor, Rodriguez and Lore was held just days after the franchise shockingly fired Gersson Rosas as president of basketball operations, with follow-up reports accusing Rosas of creating a dysfunctional environment that included him allegedly having an extra-marital affair with an employee.
Taylor made it clear from the jump that they wouldn’t be answering questions about Rosas, nor would they be discussing the Wolves’ alleged pursuit of 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons. Simmons did not report to Philadelphia for training camp on Monday, further uglying the situation with him and the 76ers.
