The Los Angeles Lakers aren't the only NBA franchise undergoing an ownership change, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Friday that Marc Stad completed a deal to become the controlling owner of the Timberwolves at a $4.5 billion valuation. Like the LA sale, it came out of nowhere, but Minnesota's situation is different.
As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported, there aren't expected to be "any major changes" (subscription required) within the Timberwolves' organization:
The transition figures to be a smooth one given that all three have already been involved in the stewardship of the franchise. Stad has been fully versed on the roster-building plans and the team’s long-term vision. That means that, about six weeks before training camp opens, there do not figure to be any major changes of the kind that can often come when ownership changes hands.
Compare that to what Dan Woike reported for The Athletic about Los Angeles on Tuesday regarding the Lakers' ownership situation: (subscription required):
"According to a pair of league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the Lakers’ internal operations, there is a belief around the NBA that the team cannot complete the buildout of its basketball operations department until the ownership situation is resolved."
Timberwolves have a new controlling owner
Bob Iger and Josh Kushner weren't previously involved with the Lakers organization, as Stad, Minnesota's new controlling owner, previously owned a minority stake in the Timberwolves and Lynx. Stad already has established relationships with Alex Rodriguez, who will remain in his current role, and Lore, who will remain part of the ownership group in what Krawczynski called a "limited role."
It helps, of course, that Stad was already part of the organization. It should make the transition smoother, since it feels less like someone new taking over and more like someone who sees things similar to Rodriquez and Lore stepping to the front. However, that doesn't mean that Stad won't shake things up since he will have the power to do so.
Lakers' future doesn't seem as certain
As Krawczynski reported, Stad's wife, Elisa, will take over as the governor of the Timberwolves in Lore's place.
For the Lakers, that's a position that Jeanie Buss held, even after Mark Walter took over last year, but after he agreed to sell to Iger and Kushner, five of the Buss siblings voted to sell their remaining shares to the new ownership, meaning Jeanie would no longer have the 15% stake needed to stay on as governor. She's fighting back and could take it to court.
Rob Pelinka's future with the organization has been a topic of conversation, too, especially if Jeanie is no longer around. Iger and Kushner could bring in someone they want to take over as president of basketball operations and general manager. The thing is, why wouldn't they? They did, after all, agree to buy the Lakers for a whopping $12.5 billion.
Tim Connelly's future in Minnesota is now worth wondering about, too, as Lore really liked him. Stad shouldn't want to replace the president of basketball operations, as he's done a good job since leaving the Nuggets for the Timberwolves, but again, when someone new takes over, you don't know how things will shake out.
When ownership changes, a flurry of questions arises about what's next; while that certainly applies to Minnesota, it seems a sense of stability will remain, even as quite a bit of uncertainty circles Los Angeles.
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