The Move That Never Happened: How the Timberwolves Almost Left Minnesota

Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves are firmly established as one of the NBA's rising franchises, but just five years after joining the league, their future in Minneapolis was anything but certain. In the spring of 1994, the franchise came within weeks of relocating to New Orleans, Louisiana in what would have become one of the shortest-lived expansion teams in not just NBA history, but North American sports history.

Financial Trouble Threatens the Franchise
The Timberwolves entered the NBA in 1989 with tremendous excitement, but the organization quickly found itself facing financial challenges. Owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner struggled with the financial obligations tied to the recently constructed Target Center. Although attendance remained respectable and basketball interest in Minnesota was strong, the team's ownership found itself under increasing financial pressure. Couple this was a terrible product on the floor and it was easy to see why the team was not making money.

During their first 7 seasons in the NBA, the Wolves were abysmal and always one of the worst teams in the league. As a result, the franchise was quietly placed on the market.

By late February 1994, Timberwolves ownership had met with representatives in Nashville, San Diego, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. All four cities prepared packages for the Timberwolves relocation, but Vegas dropped out early because the NBA said it would not allow a team to play there.

Nashville Becomes the First Bidder

New Orleans Makes Its Move

At the same time, New Orleans was aggressively pursuing another chance at becoming an NBA city. The city had lost the Jazz to Utah in 1979 and had spent years searching for a replacement franchise. The city had come close, almost regaining the Jazz in 1985 (Where Minneapolis was also contending for the team), and the Kings a year later. New Orleans also felt like the NBA did not give them a fair shot at an expansion team in the late 80s when the Wolves, Heat, Magic and Hornets joined the NBA.

In May 1994, a Louisiana investment group led by boxing promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank organization reached an agreement to purchase the Timberwolves for approximately $152.5 million. Their intention was clear: move the franchise to New Orleans in time for the 1994-95 season.

The team would have temporarily played its home games in the Louisiana Superdome while a modern basketball arena was planned. Local officials enthusiastically backed the proposal, and reports even surfaced suggesting possible new team names, including the New Orleans Rhythm and New Orleans Angels.

New Orleans would not back down from trying to get an NBA team after failing to get the Timberwolves. They applied for an expansion team when the NBA announced it was going to expand again in 1995, though those two bids went to Canadian cities in Vancouver and Toronto. New Orleans tried to woo the Grizzlies when they were trying to move out of Vancouver in 2001, eventually settling in Memphis. The Big Easy was finally successful in getting an NBA team in 2002 when the Charlotte Hornets relocated to the city.

The NBA Steps In

Unlike many relocations throughout professional sports history, this one never received league approval.

After reviewing the financial structure of the proposed purchase, the NBA's relocation committee unanimously rejected the sale in June 1994. League officials questioned the financing behind the ownership group and ultimately refused to approve both the purchase and the relocation. This is only the 3rd time the NBA has rejected a relocation. The first time was in the 1970s when the Braves tried to move to Las Vegas. The second time was in 1985 when the same franchise, now called the Clippers, wanted to move to Los Angeles from San Diego. The Clippers moved anyway and eventually got league approval. But the Wolves would not be in the same situation, and NBA Commissioner David Stern had put in safeguards to prevent another Clippers situation. The decision by the NBA relocation committee effectively kept the Timberwolves in Minneapolis—for the moment.

In June of 1994 the NBA took the drastic step of suing the Minnesota Timberwolves in US District Court in Minnesota to stop any transfer of the team. A few days later the NBA officially rejected the sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves to Top Rank. Top Rank immediately countered sued in Louisiana Civil District Court. The day after Top Rank filed suit and judge in Minneapolis ruled that the team was to remain in Minnesota until June 15, 1995.

The on-going legal battle caused a flurry of activity in Minnesota both for and against keeping the team. Several groups formed that did not want to see another billionaire bail-out and were threatening to sue. Other groups wanted to keep the team in Minnesota, and were trying to find financial backing to do so.

In August of 1994 the Louisiana Civil District Court ruled that it did not have jurisdiction over the case and dismissed the lawsuit, effectively ending Top Ranks bid to by the team.

Glen Taylor Saves the Franchise

Although the relocation effort had been stopped, the Timberwolves still needed a stable owner. The Timberwolves should have been successful on paper, but poor decisions by ownership and mismanagement of the roster kept that from happening. The NBA was not totally against relocation of the Timberwolves, just not to New Orleans or Las Vegas.

Minnesota businessman and former state senator Glen Taylor stepped forward later that year to purchase the franchise. His ownership provided the long-term stability the organization desperately needed and permanently ended relocation rumors.

Taylor's purchase ensured the Timberwolves would remain in Minnesota, allowing the franchise to build toward future success behind stars such as Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Anthony Edwards.

A Different NBA History

Had the relocation succeeded, NBA history would look dramatically different.

Minnesota would have lost its basketball team only five seasons after gaining one, while New Orleans would have re-entered the NBA nearly a decade before eventually acquiring the Charlotte Hornets in 2002. The Timberwolves' entire history—from Kevin Garnett's Hall of Fame career to multiple deep playoff runs—would have belonged to another city.

Instead, the failed relocation became one of the NBA's great "what if" stories. One of those "what ifs" is could the franchise had been ultimately more successful in New Orleans? The Wolves, despite the KG era and the current Ant-man era, are still historically one of the worst franchises in NBA history. From 2005 until 2022 they made the playoffs just one time. That said, it isn't like New Orleans has been a beacon of success for the NBA either. The Jazz failed to make the playoffs every season they were in the Big Easy, and the Pelicans have been an absolute disaster and are now the worst team in NBA history.

Legacy The failed move to New Orleans remains one of the closest calls in franchise history. While fans often remember dramatic trades, draft picks, and playoff runs, the most important victory in Timberwolves history may have happened off the court.

Without the NBA rejecting the sale and Glen Taylor ultimately purchasing the team, professional basketball in Minnesota could have disappeared in 1994.

Instead, the Timberwolves remained in Minneapolis, where they continue to write new chapters in franchise history more than three decades later.