One of the most combative and protracted team sales in pro sports history is now formally resolved as the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved Tuesday the $1.5 billion transfer of the Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx from Glen Taylor to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.

The pair are now set to take on majority control of the franchise while Taylor is departing after more than 30 years of owning the NBA team. Taylor said in a statement that the sale “marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in our lives—one filled with purpose, pride, and a deep connection.”

The league vote represented the final approval of a multistage transfer of the teams that had been in various levels of dispute for more than four years. After originally signing a deal in 2021 calling for the sale of the Timberwolves and Lynx, Taylor alleged that Lore and Rodriguez missed a key payment deadline and sought to retake control of the teams permanently.

The matter then went to an arbitrator, who ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, who are now reportedly buttressed in the deal financially by former New York mayor, U.S. presidential candidate, and media magnate Michael Bloomberg.

“Today marks a momentous milestone for us, and we fully recognize the great responsibility that comes with serving as stewards of these exceptional franchises,” Lore said in a statement. Lore will be governor of the Timberwolves and Rodriguez will be alternate governor, with the roles reversed for the Lynx.

Big To-Do List

A closing on the transaction is now set for Wednesday. Once that is done, Lore and Rodriguez will immediately have a substantial set of tasks to keep the Timberwolves and Lynx on a solid path. 

The Timberwolves remain one of the NBA’s most talented teams, reaching the Western Conference finals each of the past two years, including this past season, when they lost to the eventual league champion Thunder. The franchise, however, is above the second apron of the NBA’s salary cap, and should they remain so, will see a series of additional penalties such as frozen and reduced draft picks and an inability to use the mid-level exception in free agency.

Already, the Timberwolves have traded former star Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, where he’s become a key fixture for that team, and future retooling in Minnesota, such as what the Celtics are now doing, could be in the offing. 

The Lynx, meanwhile, have an even more successful legacy as one of the WNBA’s top teams with four league titles and seven conference championships, including last year. The team features forward Napheesa Collier, currently the WNBA’s leading scorer and, to many observers, the league’s top player, who is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season. 

The team’s home arena, Target Center in downtown Minneapolis, is 35 years old and, despite a $145 million round of renovations in 2017, is in need of further upgrades. A new arena could also be contemplated, but political resistance is likely there.   

DeWanna Bonner’s days with the Indiana Fever could be coming to an end. 

According to multiple league sources, the two-time WNBA champion has no interest in returning to play for the Fever. Those same sources indicated Bonner’s preferred landing spots are with the Phoenix Mercury or the Atlanta Dream. 

Bonner’s agent, Mike Cound, had no comment regarding his client’s standing with the Fever. 

The Fever signed Bonner in February to a one-year, unprotected contract valued at $200,000. She was one of their biggest pickups during a blockbuster free-agency period that included signing three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard, two-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson, and re-signing two-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. 

Bonner started three games for the Fever to open the season before she was benched in favor of shooting guard Lexie Hull. After six games coming off the bench, Bonner was ruled out by the Fever due to “personal reasons.” 

The six-time All-Star was averaging 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in the nine games she played before her absence. She had five points, two rebounds, and two assists in her last game with the Fever on June 10 against the Dream. 

Multiple sources told Front Office Sports that the fit in Indiana was “off” from the beginning. Bonner—who was signed to be an anchor with championship experience for the team’s young core—was expected to be a starter.  The Fever declined to comment. 

Trade or Waive?

The Fever could be facing a couple of potential scenarios. 

The first, although unlikely according to multiple sources, is a trade. 

The Mercury have $88,103 in cap space, according to Spotrac, and the Dream have $23,939. Considering most players with salaries comparable to Bonner’s will likely be off limits in a trade, a package could end up including more than one player to clear enough cap space. 

However, the more likely scenario, which does little to benefit the Fever, is waiving her. Because Bonner is on an unprotected contract, the Fever could waive Bonner and only be responsible for her prorated salary. At the midpoint of the WNBA season is when unprotected contracts become fully guaranteed. The only thing the Fever stands to gain in this scenario is cap space. 

If the Fever were to waive Bonner, teams would have 48 hours to claim her off waivers. If no team does, she would become an unrestricted free agent. 

The current veteran minimum in the WNBA is $78,831, which means the Mercury could sign Bonner without making any roster cuts if the Fever were to waive her and she clears the 48-hour waiver window.

The Celtics wasted no time overhauling their roster in order to lower a record tax bill, trading two veteran pieces of the 2023-24 championship team over the last 24 hours.

Late Monday night, Boston dealt Jrue Holiday to the Blazers for guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. The following evening, the Celtics reportedly traded Kristaps Porziņģis to the Hawks in a three-team deal involving the Nets. In return, Boston received Georges Niang and a second-round pick.

The Celtics saved about $28 million on their 2025–26 payroll from the two trades—but, depending on projections, the team has cut their record $500 million tax bill by about half entering next season.

Yoshi Gozlan of CapSheets.com projected that Boston’s 2025–26 total bill—payroll and tax—is down from $512 million to $274 million. That means the two trades saved the Celtics about $238 million, with $210 million coming purely from tax penalties.

Gozlan’s projections include the Celtics keeping their No. 28 and No. 32 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday and Thursday.

Projections are fluid at this time of the year, which is why ESPN’s Bobby Marks projects the Celtics to save about $180 million in tax penalties.

Regardless of the exact tax savings, the Celtics, who were sold for $6.1 billion in March (pending league approval), are now below the second apron that is feared by most NBA teams as it severely restricts roster construction. 

Boston may not be done dealing to lower its final bill. While it’s unlikely the Celtics will trade one of their max players, the team could save tens of millions—or even completely avoid the tax next season—by dealing guard Derrick White (four years, $118 million) or forward Sam Hauser (four years, $45 million).