Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor made some interesting observations when I stopped by his Mankato office after attending Vikings training camp last weekend.
While Taylor can't talk about other teams' players — such as trade rumors about the Wolves' possible interest in Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving — he can talk about his own. He made it clear he is going to sign guard/forward Andrew Wiggins in the near future to a five-year, $150 million contract, the highest deal any team could give him. And Wiggins is not available to anybody in a trade.
Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, said he now owns about 70 percent of the team. Two minority owners are selling their stock, but Taylor's stock is not available for the foreseeable future.
"We have a couple of my limited [owners] that have indicated that they're going to sell, and we have another limited [owner] that is going to buy them," Taylor said. "I won't be selling any of my stock. Whatever I have, I'm keeping."
NBA franchise values are skyrocketing. Taylor talked about the Houston Rockets recently going on the market.
"We're running through terrific times not only for the owners and the players, because of the interest, but just the value that has been put on the franchises that have been sold," he said. "Recently the Houston team was put up for sale, and I think again that will go for a lot of money. That is helpful to other teams like myself in that our values go up. That's on the market, so we'll see what that one goes for. I think it'll be helpful to my team."
When asked if the rumors that the Wolves are worth $1 billion are true, Taylor — who paid $88.5 million for the club in 1994 — wouldn't say.
"I don't know," he said. "If I put it up for sale, we'll find out. I like the figure. But I'm not putting it up for sale, so I don't know."
