Glen Taylor bought the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1994, saving the team from a potential move to New Orleans.

He announced Tuesday that he is looking into a potential sale of the franchise, which has made just one playoff appearance since 2004, and has hired bankers to help identify bidders.

ESPN's NBA insiders Brian Windhorst, Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps break down the situation and what comes next, including who is interested in buying the team, why this is happening and if the team could leave Minnesota.

MORE: Latest intel on the NBA restart

Who is interested in buying the team?

One group approached Taylor recently and offered him more than $1 billion for the franchise, sources said, but wouldn't agree to Taylor's terms that the team remain in Minnesota.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that the Wilf family had emerged as a serious bidder. Zygi Wilf, brother Mark Wilf and cousin Leonard Wilf have owned the Minnesota Vikings since 2005 and have a share of MLS team Nashville SC. The family, which made its fortune in real estate, is believed to have a net worth of more than $5 billion.

Wolves minority owner Meyer Orbach is also preparing a bid, multiple sources told ESPN. Orbach, a New Jersey-based real estate magnate, bought 10% of the team in 2016.

Former Wolves great Kevin Garnett expressed on Twitter his desire to assemble a group to make a bid. Garnett had planned to join the late Flip Saunders to make a bid to buy the Wolves from Taylor after his retirement. But Saunders died in 2015, and Garnett became furious that Taylor didn't follow through on what he thought was a promise.

"At this point, I don't want any dealings with Glen Taylor or Taylor Corp. or anything that has to do with him," Garnett told The Athletic earlier this year. "I don't do business with snakes."

Taylor said on WCCO radio that he expects the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx to remain part of the same ownership group.

Why would Taylor sell the team now?

Taylor has mulled selling for years. He put the team on the market in 2013. But when Saunders returned to become president, Saunders acquired an ownership share, and Taylor agreed to take the team off the block, as he intended to give Saunders some time to try to put together a group to buy the team.

After Saunders' death, Taylor came to an agreement with Steven Kaplan to sell Kaplan 30% of the team, with a plan to sell him a controlling share when Taylor was ready to let it go. But Kaplan was unable to sell a minority stake in the Memphis Grizzlies, and the deal fell apart.

Like most teams, the Wolves are facing heavy financial losses next season if fans cannot attend all or some games because of the coronavirus pandemic. Selling before next season would shelter Taylor from those losses. He recently sold interest in other businesses in the wake of the pandemic.

As he has almost done in the past, Taylor could decide to sell a piece of the team, with the new buyer having a contractual pathway to buying him out at a later date. That would provide fresh capital to weather the coming storm but wouldn't require Taylor to give up control of the team immediately.

Would the team move?

Taylor, believed to be the richest man in Minnesota, has been adamant that this isn't an option. In the past, sales agreements have included provisions that forbid new owners from moving the teams under certain conditions.

Several times in the past decade, bidders have come to Taylor with the intention of buying the team to move it, including a group led by Chris Hansen, who tried to buy the Sacramento Kings and move them to Seattle in 2013.

The Target Center recently completed a renovation that included $75 million in public money. As part of the deal, the Wolves extended their lease with the city-owned building through 2035.

It should be noted that the Wilf family engaged in difficult negotiations with the city to replace the Metrodome with the team's current home, U.S. Bank Stadium. Before a deal was struck in 2012, the Vikings were believed to be candidates to move to Los Angeles.

How much could the Wolves sell for?

The most comparable recent sale came last year, when Grizzlies owner Robert Pera bought out his partners in a deal that valued the team at $1.25 billion.

If Taylor were willing to allow the team to be moved as part of a sale, it could get significantly more -- perhaps north of $1.5 billion, several brokers who handle team sales told ESPN. With Taylor unwilling to agree to such terms, the price could be closer to the Grizzlies' number.

Having said that, Taylor's decision to publicly announce his plans and that he has bidders could be designed to juice the price and attract new interest. Although Taylor has been in talks about a possible sale for at least a month, the news caught some fellow NBA owners contacted by ESPN by surprise.

NBA sales have been robust recently, with big-market teams such as the Brooklyn Nets ($2.35 billion), Houston Rockets ($2.2 billion) and LA Clippers ($2 billion) pushing the average NBA franchise value to more than $2 billion, according to Forbes.

What's the financial situation with the Wolves' roster?

The Wolves will be in the luxury tax this year, though that's mostly an anomaly due to the trade-deadline acquisition of D'Angelo Russell. Although they will pay a $582,264 penalty this year, the Wolves have been in the tax only four times since the 2002-03 season. Unless there is a significant decline in the projected $139 million luxury tax for 2020-21, the Wolves will steer clear of paying a penalty for a second consecutive season.

Moving forward, a new ownership group would inherit the four years and $131 million left on Karl-Anthony Towns' contract and the three years and $90 million for Russell. More than 61% of the Timberwolves' payroll in 2020-21 is tied up in those two players. The rest of the roster with committed long-term salary includes seven players -- Josh Okogie, Jarrett Culver, Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans, Naz Reid, Jaylen Nowell and Jarred Vanderbilt -- who are on rookie-scale or minimum-level contracts. (James Johnson's $16 million deal expires after next season.)

Minnesota will have the potential to add three inexpensive contracts (for a projected total of $13 million in 2020-21) in the draft, including their lottery pick, a first-rounder via Brooklyn (if the Nets make the playoffs) and an early second-rounder (projected at No. 33).

Although Minnesota will not have cap space this offseason, the big financial commitment for a new ownership group would come via the restricted free agencies of Malik Beasley and Juan Hernangomez. The two players were acquired at the trade deadline from Denver and posted career highs in minutes and points before the season was postponed.

Will Minnesota's front-office strategy change?

Moments such as this always create some anxiety for a basketball operations department, with decision-makers wondering if a new ownership group will overhaul a front office. But the Timberwolves have a creative and resourceful executive in president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas.

Since he was hired in May, Rosas has turned over the roster (only Towns and Okogie remain) with a series of trades, added an All-Star in Russell and reshaped the front office by building out scouting, analytics and sports science departments that were previously below league average.

Plus, Rosas is not a novice when it comes to navigating the unknown of an ownership sale. In 2017, he was with the Houston Rockets when the team was sold to Tilman Fertitta.

Are more teams going to go up for sale?

The NBA is in a difficult place financially right now, leading to plenty of curiosity around the league about the potential for several teams to be up for sale in the next year or two. Although it appears that the league is on its way to pulling off its bubble inside the Walt Disney World Resort, there is no way to know what next season will look like.

Adam Silver said on a call with players in May that up to 40% of revenue comes from live attendance at games -- something that, because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, might not be an option next season. There also is the possibility for revenue sharing to be turned on its head if the big-market teams, which typically buoy smaller market clubs such as Minnesota, don't have excess money to share. That could lead to significant losses for some teams.

Franchise valuations have soared over the past decade. Owners who cash out now could double their initial investments, and that opportunity might be too appealing to pass up.

During a Minnesota Twins front-office diversity roundtable on Tuesday, general manager Thad Levine said front-office hiring practices in Major League Baseball and his own organization are "flawed" following the racial reckoning taking place in industries across America in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, which happened in the team's city of Minneapolis.

"We've become too reliant on the fact that there are so many candidates that desire to work in baseball. Unintentionally, we've become complacent," Levine said while introducing the panel on a video conference call. "Our applicant pool that's flooded our office has been filled with a lot of talent. It's been in large regard homogeneous. We believe that diverse thoughts, life experiences and beliefs inspire a welcoming, inclusive environment and enhances the development of our employees and fuel the growth of the Minnesota Twins organization. All of these words are substantive, we need our actions to be transformational."

The panel is the first in a series the team plans on hosting. The next is scheduled for Aug. 13 with the top women leaders in the Twins' organization. The panel included four Black members of the Minnesota front office: director of amateur scouting Sean Johnson, senior adviser in scouting Deron Johnson, advance scouting analyst Josh Ruffin and pro scouting fellow Navery Moore. The panel was moderated by former Minnesota Timberwolves assistant general manager Noah Croom.

During the one-hour conference, which received more than 400 advance signups, panelists discussed the experience of getting an entry-level job in baseball and the difficulty in finding mentors. Ruffin, a former pitcher at Duke, articulated the cultural pressures of being a young, Black member of a front office.

"Coming into baseball, I kinda thought that I needed to come in, survey the land, see who's around me and then make sure that I kinda mesh in with that culture just so I'm not ostracizing myself," Ruffin said.

Moore joined the Twins' front office in January. He pitched at Vanderbilt and spent six seasons in the minors and independent baseball from 2011 to 2016, and said having Black colleagues in the Twins' front office eased his cultural transition into the organization.

"The landscapes are different from club to club, but as soon as I joined the Twins, I was able to meet Deron and Sean very early on after joining and then Josh also in the office since we're both in there every day," Moore said. "It did provide a very comfortable environment for me because I automatically knew that there were people I could relate to who've been in baseball for a long time and have likely gone through similar experiences as me."

Deron Johnson said the rising financial costs of travel baseball and showcase circuits are creating a financial barrier for Black children in America to access baseball, adding that MLB needs to do a better job of marketing its Black players. Since the killing of Floyd, Johnson believes more Black voices are being heard in important conversations around baseball.

"I think our voices are being heard now," Johnson said. "Talking to some of my buddies in different organizations and I'm proud of our organization because we're one of the few that is doing something about diversity and inclusion. We've had several Zoom calls. Sean is on a committee that's gonna be interviewing for a hiring diversity committee. Industrywide? This is a time where people can get into the game or get their names out there. Unfortunately with the pandemic, I don't know about the hiring situation in most organizations."

Sean Johnson said that many Division I baseball scholarships are not always fully funded, compared to basketball and football, making the decision easier to drop baseball based on finances. Additionally, he noted that the sport needs to do a better job of being exciting while continuing to evolve and change.

"Keeping people interested in the sport at a young level, you see the NBA and you see that first-hand how the NBA has changed the way it's played and people have a favorite player and everyone likes all of the teams and all of the teams are competitive," Johnson said. "They've done a great job of changing and evolving with the culture and the times."

Moore spoke about his experience coming up through the minor leagues as a Black pitcher, often the only one on his team. Ruffin said he had a similar experience as a Division I pitcher, adding that he thinks Black players are boxed in by many coaches.

"You don't see any Black catchers. I think the pocketing or boxing in of Black athletes when they decide to come into baseball, it's one where you are super athletic or super fast and we're going to go stick you in the outfield where you run down and catch everything," Ruffin said. "There's sections of baseball that aren't even open to everybody when it comes to some of these amateur coaches you have. In basketball, you see it today and you can be 7-feet tall and as long as you can dribble, we'll let you go outside and shoot a little bit. It's one where you're fast? You're rangy? Go to center field, that's where you're at and that's what you got."

As the panel wrapped up, Levine thanked the four men for sharing their experiences publicly. He touted the Twins' mentor program, where the team hopes to connect with those interested in pursuing a career in baseball and receiving guidance on class choices and career aspirations.

"The first step in this is awareness and so few people have a feel for how you get into a front office or scouting or player development," Levine said. "If we can get a few people from this who embrace the mentor program and understand the opportunities a little bit better, maybe we are finding the next GM, assistant GM, scouting director, farm director, on-field coach that we otherwise would not have known that these jobs are out there for them and furthermore that you can have bona fide mentors such as you gentlemen and other people we have in organization, people of color who can give them real clear guidance and be a shining light for them as they go through their careers. We all need to stay committed to that."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Colorado Rockies rookie outfielder Sam Hilliard grew up going to Texas Rangers games with his dad, who two years ago was diagnosed with ALS.

Hilliard's dad, Jim, is now getting to watch his son as a big leaguer in their hometown team's new stadium that otherwise is closed to fans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's amazing that he can be here, especially the fact he's in Texas," Sam Hilliard said before Tuesday's game. "It's going to be something else to look up there and see him. ... Hopefully I'll get to interact a little bit with him after the game or something, get to see him. I haven't seen him in a while. It's going to be really cool and something to really cherish."

The 26-year-old outfielder's parents and fiancée were there when the Rockies played an exhibition game Tuesday. They are scheduled to attend another exhibition game Wednesday and be there for the regular-season opener between the two teams Friday, which will be Hilliard's first Opening Day in the big leagues.

"That's honestly a dream come true," Hilliard said. "It's such a blessing for my family, to have them here."

Hilliard homered in his big league debut in August and hit .273 with seven homers and 13 RBIs in 27 games over the final month of the season.

Colorado was originally scheduled to play two games in Texas in August, but with the restructured schedule, the Rockies became the first visiting team to play at Globe Life Field -- for exhibition games and the regular season.

Hilliard said it is getting harder for his parents to travel. His father, a retired orthopedic surgeon who played football at the University of Texas in the early 1970s, had been dealing with symptoms of ALS before his official diagnosis in 2018. Often called Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. There is no cure.

Last season, Hilliard started speaking more frequently about Team Hilliard, the family's effort to raise awareness and raise money for the ALS Therapy Development Institute. His mother, Tamara, is a driving force behind the initiative. The outfielder is the youngest of the couple's three sons.

Although Hilliard didn't know all of the details that came together for his dad to see him play in Texas, he knows the Rangers helped find a way "for them to get in and be socially distanced from anyone else and have a little spot in the stadium."

Hilliard's family was sitting on the main concourse level, above the Rockies' dugout on the third-base side. That provided a good spot to view Hilliard playing left field and when the left-handed hitter came to bat and went 1-for-3 with a run.

He is back in Texas for the first time since before spring training began in February.

"It's a little bit different, can't really leave the hotel too much," he said.

Five-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, who hit one of the Rockies' three home runs in a 5-1 win, said it was a first-class move by the Rangers, Rockies and Major League Baseball to allow Hilliard's family in for the games.

"That's a tough situation to go through, and I don't want to imagine going [through] that. But you know, Sam's a tough kid and has got a big heart," Arenado said. "His head's in the right place. If that was me, I'd have a lot of trouble focusing on baseball. ... He's doing it for his family. He's doing it for his dad."

Hilliard said he grew up 10 or 15 minutes from the new stadium, which is across the street from the former stadium, where he had his first real job.

"It was at the sports park behind center field, where they had that Wiffle ball field," he said. "I was one of those kids throwing Wiffle balls to little kids."

OHSWEKEN, Ontario – Ohsweken Speedway officials, along with the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, have announced the inaugural Pinty’s 100 scheduled for Aug. 17-18 has been delayed until the 2021 season.

With the Ohsweken community still in phase two restrictions, the speedway cannot welcome fans and officials were forced to postpone the event to next season.

“The Pinty’s 100 was set to be the biggest event in the history of Ohsweken Speedway,” said general manager Clinton Geoffrey. “We had several superstars lined-up and were ready to announce a bunch more when the virus took hold of the world. We are building an event for the fans like no other. The Pinty’s 100 is not just another race, so if we can’t celebrate it with our fans, we will wait until 2021 to do it right.”

Fans who have purchased tickets online can log into their Showpass account and select a refund or hold their seats for the inaugural Pinty’s 100 on its new date in 2021.

“It’s amazing to be hosting a NASCAR race at Ohsweken Speedway and we can’t thank Pinty’s enough for their continued support of our goals,” said track owner Glenn Styres. “Although we haven’t been able to go racing yet this year, we have made major upgrades to facility since March. Our fans are going to be really impressed when we get to open up again. The main thing now is for everyone to stay safe.”

CONCORD, N.C. – In anticipation of the birth of his second child, Hendrick Motorsports Crew Chief Chad Knaus will miss Thursday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway.

He and wife Brooke are expecting the new addition – a little girl – any day now. Their son, Kip, was born in August 2018.

“Originally, this was going to be a stretch of back-to-back off weekends for us and everything was going to go to plan so I could be home for those two weeks,” said Knaus. “Unfortunately, we now have two races in one week due to the shift in the schedule from the pandemic. Either way, we still have a great plan in place so that I get to be by Brooke’s side, and we can welcome our baby girl together.”

With Knaus on baby watch, veteran crew chief Keith Rodden will call the shots for William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro team at Kansas.

“We have a lot of depth to pull from in this situation at Hendrick Motorsports, and I know Keith is more than capable of getting the job done,” Knaus said. “I have all the faith that it will be a solid race for him and the No. 24 team.”

Rodden has called 138 NASCAR Cup Series races as a crew chief for drivers Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne, who he led to victory for Hendrick Motorsports at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017. Coincidentally, that crown jewel win fell on July 23 – the same date of Thursday night’s race at Kansas Speedway.

“I’m super pumped to get to the track again and help out Chad, William and the No. 24 team,” Rodden said. “Being present for the birth of your child is important, especially in the world we are in now. That’s a moment you don’t want to take for granted. Myself and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports support Chad and his family 100% in whatever they need.”

Rodden, who also won the 2014 NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with McMurray, has been the No. 24 team’s designated backup as Hendrick Motorsports planned for Knaus’ potential absence.

“I’ve known Chad for years, and our communication with each other is great,” Rodden said. “I’ve also been working with William and the No. 24 team the last several weeks in anticipation of this moment. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to step in and represent Axalta and Hendrick Motorsports. I want to get the best possible result, but the ultimate goal is to show up to win and bring a trophy back for Chad and his family.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR officials have confirmed that there will be no practice or qualifying for teams competing in all three national divisions for the remainder of the season.

The news was confirmed in a statement from NASCAR Senior Vice President, Competition Scott Miller late Tuesday afternoon. He also confirmed NASCAR will be adjusting the starting lineup draw procedure for the NASCAR playoffs, though no details have been announced.

“Following discussions with our race teams and the broader industry, NASCAR will continue to conduct its race weekends without practice and qualifying for the remainder of the 2020 season in all three national series,” Miller said in his statement. “The current format has worked well in addressing several challenges during our return to racing. Most importantly, we have seen competitive racing week-to-week. NASCAR will adjust the starting lineup draw procedure for the Playoff races, and will announce the new process at a later date.”

Practice and qualifying have rarely taken place since NASCAR returned to action amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May. Only one qualifying session has been held since then, which took place prior to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Practice has also taken place once. NASCAR Xfinity Series teams got the chance to familiarize themselves with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course prior to the inaugural race on the circuit on July 4, which was won by Chase Briscoe.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has fined Michael Ruch, the husband of NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series racer Angela Ruch, for violating the sanctioning body’s COVID-19 health protocols.

Michael Ruch, who was listed as the hauler driver for the Reaume Brothers Racing No. 00 team that his wife drove for last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, was fined $10,000. The penalty report cited The penalty report Sections 12.8.1.b. (Member Conduct) and 7.7.2.j. in the NASCAR Rule Book — noted “non-compliance with essential personnel/team event roster rules.”

Michael Ruch is the second person to be fined under NASCAR’s COVID-19 policies. NASCAR previously fined NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Anthony Clements $10,000 for failing to adhere to the COVID-19 policies following the race weekend at Kentucky Speedway.

The only other penalty resulting from last weekend’s events at Texas Motor Speedway was a $10,000 lug nut fine for Front Row Motorsports No. 34 team crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.

MONTREAL -- CCM Hockey is partnering with former NHL player Akim Aliu to promote diversity and inclusion, while making it easier for disadvantaged children to enter the sport.

The Montreal-based hockey equipment and apparel maker announced on Tuesday that it reached an endorsement agreement with Aliu, who is co-chairman of the newly formed Hockey Diversity Alliance and founder of the Time to Dream Foundation.

The Nigerian-born Aliu came to prominence as a voice against racism and intolerance in hockey in November when he alleged that Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters directed racial slurs at him while the two were in the minors a decade earlier. Peters resigned days later, and Aliu's comments led to the NHL strengthening its personal conduct policies regarding racism and bullying.

CCM will make a financial contribution and donate 750 of what it calls "starter kits," which will include necessary equipment for children to play hockey. Aliu will be involved as a mentor and coach.

"The sport of hockey is a mindset, not a demographic," CCM CEO Rick Blackshaw said in a statement. "Hockey is an attitude, not an age. Hockey is a leader, not a gender or race."

Said Aliu: "I'm grateful for their commitment to bring about true and meaningful change that the game of hockey and society desperately need."

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin are the finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL player "judged most valuable to his team."

The winner, who will be revealed during the conference final round set to begin Aug. 1, is determined through voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

All three players were also nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by the NHL Players' Association and given to the league's most "outstanding" player.

Draisaitl, 24, led the NHL in points (110), assists (67) and game-winning goals (10) in 71 games for the Oilers. His 1.55 points per game (minimum 50 games) rank second only to 2019 Hart winner Nikita Kucherov (1.56) for highest average of the past 20 years.

He also recorded a league-best 33 multipoint performances -- four more than MacKinnon -- and led NHL forwards in both total (1,605:24) and average time on ice (22:37). While he played the majority of his minutes at 5-on-5 away from star teammate Connor McDavid, the two saw time together on the power play, and Draisaitl had a league-leading 44 power-play points. Draisaitl helped create the most effective power play (29.5% conversion rate) in the NHL since 1979.

MacKinnon, a Hart finalist in 2018, had 93 points (35 goals and 58 assists) in 69 games for the Avalanche, dragging a team that was besieged by injuries to second in the Western Conference. The 24-year-old MacKinnon, who led the NHL with 318 shots on goal, had 43 more points than teammate Cale Makar, the largest differential between a team's top two scorers since the 2007-08 Washington Capitals.

Panarin, 28, made a huge splash after New York signed him as the prize of the 2019 summer free-agent derby. He had 32 goals and 63 assists in 69 games -- finishing 20 points ahead of teammate Mika Zibanejad in team scoring -- as the Rangers advanced to the postseason after the league altered its playoff format to include 24 teams following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Panarin, the NHL rookie of the year in 2016, was the best even-strength scorer in the NHL this season with 71 points, including an NHL-best 46 even-strength assists and a plus-minus rating of plus-36.