The Timberwolves’ lengthy ownership dispute is nearing its conclusion, with the most critical decision in the process coming Monday.

That’s when a three-person arbitration panel will levy its decision on behalf of Glen Taylor or Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.

Lore and Rodriguez originally agreed to buy the team from Taylor in 2021, with the purchase set up in the form of a multi-year payment plan that was originally slated to be completed at the end of 2023, with Lore and Rodriguez having the option to extend the purchase window by 90 days.

But Taylor cancelled the sale in late March of 2024, citing missed deadlines. But Lore and Rodriguez contended they hadn’t broken the contract. The arbitration process, the arguments for which were delivered in November, was centered on the question of whether the contract was breached to the degree where Taylor would be within his rights to cancel the deal.

The answer will come Monday.

If the panel rules in favor of Taylor, he will retain controlling ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx, and Lore and Rodriguez will remain minority owners. But if the panel rules in favor of Lore and Rodriguez, they can resume the process of completing the majority purchase. At that point, they would have just one final hurdle to clear: the approval of sale from the NBA Board of Governors.