Rumors

Private equity billionaire Justin Ishbia is exploring a bid for Major League Baseball’s Minnesota Twins, according to people familiar with the matter.

Bloomberg

Darren Wolfson: #Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince with the ceremonial first pitch to #MNTwins starter Sonny Gray: pic.twitter.com/8dx4zfsbAZ

Twitter

As Towns sat down in front of the Zoom screen to recap the emotional night, he was well aware of newcomer Rougned Odor leading the Yankees to an extra-inning win against the Rays earlier in the day. He wore a Yankees cap and jersey on a Timberwolves team plane in 2019, during a Yankees-Twins playoff series, to reaffirm where his baseball loyalties lie. “A-Rod is one of the best baseball players that ever lived,” Towns said. “To have his charisma and his aura is going to make a lot of people gravitate towards here. From the standpoint of understanding players and the grind you go through, it’s something a former professional athlete can know.”

New York Post

Over the last several days, notable white athletes and sports figures, including Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, former Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy, Pelicans guard J.J. Redick and Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, have joined prominent black athletes like LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Gophers receiver Rashod Bateman and Lynx assistant coach Rebekkah Brunson in calling for change and recognition of an age-old issue.

The Athletic

Drew Shiller: Steve Kerr just told @DamonBruce that Steph Curry, DeMarcus Cousins and several Warriors coaches went to Target Field in Minnesota to watch the Twins' home opener against the Indians (Curry got a suite)

Twitter

Jonathan Feigen: Rockets guard Chris Paul to throw out the first pitch at Minute Maid before Astros-Twins tomorrow, Astros announce.

Twitter

Jon Krawczynski: Wolves officials are at the Twins game with D'Angelo Russell. Told things are going well with his visit

Twitter

The celebrity softball game at Target Field will have one fewer participant but immeasurably less awkwardness. The Twins on Wednesday announced a revised lineup for the game. Kevin Love is no longer scheduled to appear in the game. The Wolves are entertaining trade offers for Love, who will more than likely opt out of his contract next summer. The popular belief is that the Wolves must trade him before they lose him for nothing.

1500 ESPN

At the game, Love sat next to his agent, Jeff Schwartz, who also represents former Celtics star Paul Pierce. Later Sunday, Sox slugger David Ortiz tweeted at Love: “Yo @kevinlove, if you need advice on moving from Minnesota to Boston just let me know #CityOfChamps” Ortiz would know what it’s like to make such a transition, as he spent six seasons with the Minnesota Twins before signing as a free agent with the Red Sox in 2003. However, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said the team very much plans to keep Love in Minneapolis.

Boston Globe

Yes, former Minnesota Twins DH and all-around Beantown hero David Ortiz offering Love advice on leaving Minnesota for Boston. Diabolical. Love has one year remaining on his contract with the Timberwolves, and the team has said it would be open to at least listen to offers to move him.

For The Win

Ricky Rubio is all about unity in the community. Even though the Timberwolves phenom has been sidelined while recovering from his ACL tear, he still made it out to support his hometown Twins on Saturday.

MLB.com

Taylor said there's "a serious problem in that we have to make the league more profitable" and said contraction was offered as a possible solution at last week's NBA Board of Governors meetings. He also said that few teams would be interested in the idea. "You'd have to find an owner who would want to do it and I know, just because I'm chairman of the board, most teams would not want to do that," Taylor said. "They feel like I do: They're involved in their community, their state and that's very, very important to them. "I can tell you we don't have somebody lined up like baseball did that year, when they talked about the Twins. We' re not in that situation nor do we hope that would happen."

Minneapolis Star-Tribune