Kevin Garnett On Track For Role In Wolves’ Front Office?

Former Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett is expected to return to the organization in a front office role if and when Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are officially approved as the team’s majority owners, reports Charley Walters of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (subscription required; hat tip to Sportando).

[RELATED: Arbitrators Rule In Favor Of Lore, Rodriguez In Timberwolves Ownership Dispute]

Walters stated way back in 2021 that he was hearing buzz about the possibility of Garnett becoming “heavily involved” in the Timberwolves’ basketball operations department when Lore and Rodriguez formally completed their purchase of the club from longtime owner Glen Taylor.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, meanwhile, reported in 2022 that Lore and Rodriguez wanted to repair the organization’s relationship with Garnett, who feuded with Taylor after leaving Minnesota. Krawczynski said at the time that the incoming ownership group planned to retire Garnett’s jersey.

Lore and Rodriguez had appeared poised to take over majority control of the Timberwolves from Taylor during the spring of 2024, but that process was delayed when Taylor attempted to retain majority control of the franchise, claiming that the Lore/A-Rod group missed a payment deadline. That led to a legal battle that was resolved by an arbitration hearing earlier this month.

Although arbitrators ruled in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, the new ownership group will still need to be approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors before assuming control of the team.

Garnett’s long-running beef with Taylor began when a plan to rejoin the organization once his playing days were over fell apart following the death of former Timberwolves president and head coach Flip Saunders. Garnett, who believes Taylor reneged on an agreement between them, said in 2020 that he would never forgive the Wolves owner for it, adding, “I don’t do business with snakes.”

Garnett has repeatedly professed a love for Minnesota and for Timberwolves fans, so it makes sense that he’d be interested in rejoining the team in some capacity once Taylor is no longer calling the shots.

While Walters suggests that Garnett could be hired “as soon as” Lore and Rodriguez take over for Taylor, it’s unclear what sort of position he might take on. Walters’ 2021 report about the Hall of Famer potentially becoming “heavily involved” in the front office came a year before the club hired Tim Connelly as its president of basketball operations, so a role for Garnett may look different today than it would have four years ago.