>> Industry sources say the Twins, who began exploring a sale last October and have sought $1.7 billion for the team, have a deal on the table and that bidding to line up financing is underway. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball is expected to guarantee the Twins’ debt, reportedly more than $400 million. After seeing financial books, some potential buyers backed off due to the team’s lack of cash flow.

>> For the last 21 years, buyers of professional sports franchises have been able to write off 100 percent of the cost amortized over a 15-year-period. With Congress’ passing of the mega tax bill last week in Washington, only 50 percent now can be written off. That potentially could affect the price of future franchise sales, including the Twins.

>> The corporate naming rights switch from the Wild’s Xcel Energy Center to Grand Casino Mille Lacs, first reported to happen by the Pioneer Press in May, could have repercussions for downtown St. Paul.

It’s complicated and sensitive, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Treasure Island casino in Welch ends up in a direct competing capacity with Grand Casino if legalized sports gambling is allowed in Minnesota.

>> Don’t think the Wild aren’t livid about the State Legislature’s recent rejection to fund a renovation of its 25-year-old arena. Meanwhile, there’s whispering that the team has considered a revamped entertainment center adjacent to Roy Wilkins Auditorium that would include a professional women’s volleyball franchise.

That would also include moving the parking ramp just south of Kellogg Boulevard to north of the arena, where a five-story parking ramp would be built. A hotel with between 400 and 600 rooms would replace the existing parking ramp.

The really sensitive issue would be the possibility of housing a 200,000-square foot casino adjacent to the hotel. Which tribe would operate it would be interesting, for sure.

>> The NHL wouldn’t allow owner Craig Leipold to move the Wild out of Minnesota, but probably wouldn’t oppose a move to Bloomington — former home of the North Stars — or Eagan. Don’t think a move isn’t a possibility if St. Paul doesn’t realize the value of the Wild enough to upgrade its arena.

“We’re definitely concerned about that possibility,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter told the Pioneer Press on Thursday. “We don’t take them for granted. So far, we’ve been working really closely with the team. It’s not something we see as an acute threat right now.”

>> Xcel Energy Center’s naming rights were worth $3 million a year to the Wild. Grand Casino naming rights are believed to be worth at least $10 million annually.

>> Pssst: Eagan, as part of the Vikings complex, and Bloomington, adjacent to Mall of America on the southeast side, are considered favored sites for an NBA arena that would replace Target Center under new Timberwolves-Lynx owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore.

>> Buzz continues that Lore and Rodriguez intend to bring Kevin Garnett to the Wolves-Lynx in an advisory role, then retire his No. 21 jersey and perhaps even erect a statue.

>> Ohio State is saying publicly it plans to spend $18 million on athletes for the coming academic year. The Gophers aren’t saying, but are expected to spend about $13 million on football and $5 million on men’s and women’s basketball.

>> For an eight-year, 33-36 Big Ten won-loss record — the record that counts — Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck is up for a one-year contract extension that this year includes a new $1 million retention bonus.

>> Iowa alum and former Viking Chad Greenway’s Gray Duck Spirits company has a deal with the University of Minnesota to donate 25 percent of local vodka purchases up to $1 million to the Gophers name, image and likeness (NIL) collective. Also, purchases of Gray Duck at Twin Cities golf courses will be directed to the Gophers men’s and women’s golf programs.

>> Odds are less than 50-50 that there will be an agreement even by 2026 allowing LIV golfers to compete in the 3M Open, which will continue to be held at the TPC in Blaine the week after the British Open.

>> While the Knicks ate $30 million by firing ex-Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau in June, the Suns ate $40 million by firing coach Mike Budenholzer in April.

>> Dwane Casey, the ex-Wolves coach who coached new San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney in Detroit, on the fiery coaching demeanor of the Cretin-Derham Hall and University of St. Thomas grad, in a profile by Substack’s David Chabot: “You look at him, he looks like a choir boy, then he opens his mouth and it’s Lucifer all over again.”

A little birdie says Sweeney is getting a $1.5 million pay increase to leave the Mavericks as top assistant for the Spurs. He also was very close in the hunt for the Suns’ head job.

>> The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold for $10 billion. Minneapolis businessman Bob Short and two dozen investors purchased the Lakers for $200,000 in 1957, then in 1965 sold the team to Jack Kent Cooke for $5.2 million.

>> No doubt if the Wilf family, which bought the Vikings for $600 million in 2005, put the Vikings on the market today, they would receive a minimum of $8 billion.

>> There’s a decent chance that Major League Baseball will implement robot umpires for 2026.

“The problem I see is twofold,” retired 30-year umpire Tim Tschida, 65, from St. Paul said. “No. 1, once you bring it in, and if it doesn’t produce the result you had hoped, how are you going to get it out? And it’s not going to totally clean up the strike zone because it’s a challenge system. I really hope it doesn’t happen.”

>> The Timberwolves’ average ticket price this season of $163 was the second-largest increase in the NBA from the season before, when their tickets averaged $98, per TickPick.

>> In 1991, an average ticket, beer, soft drink, hot dog, parking and team hat for a Vikings game cost $142.50, sixth-highest in the NFL, per Hard Rock International research. This year, cost is $641.53, an increase of 350 percent.

The 1991 average per-game cost for the publicly-owned Packers was $128. Now it’s $718.57, an increase of 461 percent, highest in the NFL.

>> “Rescue: Hi Surf,” the Fox drama in which Cretin-Derham Hall grad Ian Anthony Dale had recurring roles, has been canceled.

>> Longtime Twins Ballpark Operations VP Matt Hoy is transitioning to Senior Advisor, Operations. Ryan Tanke, out as Timberwolves-Lynx COO with the Rodriguez-Lore purchase, is new COO of the Houston Rockets. And John Penfellow is leaving as executive VP and chief revenue officer of the Vikings to become president of business operations for the Las Vegas Golden Knights.

Overheard

>> While at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center on Thursday on behalf of youngsters, Oklahoma Thunder standout Chet Holmgren was asked by the Pioneer Press his opinion on MVP teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s new guaranteed $285 million, four-year contract: “He’s more than earned that. Players of his caliber can’t be paid what they’re worth, just the way the structure of salary cap and everything is set up. He got paid the absolutely most he could get paid, and rightfully so. He’s earned every dollar. He’s the type of person you want to see get paid, too — great person off the floor, great family man.”