Despite being the only team this decade to make back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, the Minnesota Timberwolves have yet to make it over the hump and clinch their first-ever NBA Championship.
But with a new ownership group, the franchise hopes to change that, now modeling its path to success after one of its main rivals. Speaking on the Hoop Collective podcast, Timberwolves new co-owner and former MLB superstar Alex Rodriguez said that Minnesota is using the Oklahoma City Thunder as ‘a good model for us’ to eventually sit atop the NBA landscape.
“If Sam Presti turned around and was like, ‘You know what? Let’s break it up. Let’s change directions.’ They wouldn’t have been world champs this year,” Rodriguez said. “Then, when they got close, they brought in Caruso and a few others … we look at that as a good model for us. And hey, it pays to be patient.”
Rodriguez and Mark Lore became the newest co-owners of the Timberwolves after a four-year process, which was confirmed over the summer.
A-Rod Praised Sam Presti and the Thunder
Rodriguez and Lore discussed how the Thunder, under general manager Sam Presti, have made the most of drafting young talent and slowly adding pieces around their stars instead of rushing the process while being quick to make drastic changes.
Presit’s method led them to winning the team’s first title since relocating to Oklahoma City. Though the Timberwolves are in a bit of a different position, the two believe it is a good model for success in a smaller market.
“We want to be very, very disciplined and patient, but with a sense of urgency. We paid the second-highest tax last year. This year we’re going to be in the tax again,” Rodriguez said. “When we played against Oklahoma City, we had a play-in game three years ago. Shai and all those guys were still young, and we beat them at home.”
Neither Rodriguez nor Lore expects to make any major changes to the Timberwolves’ roster or how the franchise is run. They still plan to have a high annual salary, but don’t feel the need to make any ground-breaking or league-altering moves to reshape their roster. The two also discussed how they make decisions together, and though disagreements might happen, they trust each other’s decision-making.
“We’re so aligned with the way we look at things. I would say 99% of things we agree on,” Rodriguez added. “More than anything, I think two thoughts are better than one…I come at it from 30 years being in the locker room, and Mark comes at it from being one of the top e-commerce guys in the world for the past 30 years.”
Timberwolves’ Latest Moves Under New Ownership
Anthony Edwards remains the flagship player and superstar for Minnesota. This past season, he earned a spot on the All-NBA second team, averaging a league-fourth 27.6 points, along with 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 44.6% shooting. Edwards has consistently performed at a high level throughout his first five seasons with the Timberwolves, despite significant roster changes occurring before Rodriguez and Lore were confirmed as co-owners.
Last summer, the team made the blockbuster deal that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. With the reshaped roster, they made the conference finals once again, and the new owners plan to keep their currently constructed lineup going forward.
Minnesota signed Randle to a three-year $100 million extension this summer, while also locking down Naz Reid with a five-year $125 million deal. The Timberwolves did lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency to the Atlanta Hawks, but were able to keep a majority of their core together for the next few years.
While Rodriguez and Lore come in as the newest NBA owners, they have been consistent in their messaging that they hope to bring a championship to Minnesota. They saw the blueprint laid out by the Thunder, and hope to follow in that model by making the right moves to a team that is already close to winning four-straight playoff series.
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