The Athletic reported today that the Phoenix Suns’ ownership group is interested in purchasing the Minnesota Twins. Their unnamed source confirmed that Justin Ishbia and his brother Mat Ishbia (current Suns owner) have expressed this interest. The Twins’ current owners, the Pohlad family, surprised the organization and fans in October when they announced the family would explore a sale of the team.
Sources confirm Phoenix Suns/Mercury owner Mat Ishbia and his brother Justin Ishbia are interested in purchasing the #MNTwins.
Three days after they were approved as owners in Feb. 2023, the Suns acquired Kevin Durant.
Bloomberg was first with the report.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) December 13, 2024
Suns Owners Interested in Purchasing Twins
Progressive Owners
The Suns’ value was $4 billion when the brothers purchased them in 2023, which Forbes reported as a record price. Soon after this purchase, the Suns began working on their roster, completing a trade with the Nets for superstar Kevin Durant. Besides working on the roster, the brothers also focused on the fan experience as they created a unique TV deal. Any game that isn’t nationally televised is available on local television and can also be streamed, essentially providing free games to 2.8 million homes in Arizona.
Good Fit for Twins Fans
Even though the brothers have only owned the Suns for a few years, their track record has quickly made them a viable option for Twins fans to support. First, the Pohlad family has publicly admitted to keeping the team’s payroll a fixed amount. This was upsetting to fans after the Twins failed to capitalize on their 2023 playoff run. The Twins settled for cheaper options instead of going after high-tiered free agents. Failing to add to their division-winning roster significantly was the scapegoat to many for the 2024 downfall. The Ishbia brothers quickly added a superstar when they went after Kevin Durant, who also came with his expensive contract. Their willingness to spend money in the NBA would most likely transfer to MLB and the Twins, making many fans happy.
Notably, the Twins, along with other major league teams, have struggled with their television contracts. As Diamond Sports Group was trying to emerge from bankruptcy, the Twins and their fans remained in limbo. The Twins needed to learn how much money they would make from the contract and when they were trying to be frugal with their money, this added to the difficulty of signing free agents. For the fans, the lack of accessibility made it challenging to watch games. With the Suns being pioneers with their television deal, it would be a plus for Twins fans to have owners with the experience to deal with the challenging situation.
Value and Possible Timeline
The Athletic reported the Twins to be valued between $1.4-$1.7 billion, noting the most recent MLB team to sell was the Baltimore Orioles for $1.725 billion in March. As mentioned in the article, Forbes has the brothers’ net worth listed at $5.4 billion. However, Twins fans must be patient, as they also noted a sale would unlikely happen before Opening Day.
Photo Credit: © Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
The post Interest in Purchasing Twins by Current NBA Owners appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.