T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor met with Grizzlies co-Exec Chair Steve Kaplan on Wednesday "in continuing negotiations to sell part of the franchise that are complex, proceeding slowly and still may not ever be completed," according to a source cited by Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Taylor "met with Kaplan and one of his partners," Italian soccer club Inter Milan co-Owner Handy Soetedjo. Taylor last week said that negotiations to sell 30% of the team were "at a 'standstill' while Kaplan pursues selling his ownership stake" in the Grizzlies. The source indicated the "slow-going negotiations assure that Taylor will decide" interim coach Sam Mitchell and GM Milt Newton's futures, and Taylor "is actively investigating his options." Taylor last week said that the sale will "eventually be completed in ... months and 'not weeks'" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/4). The AP's Jon Krawczynski noted Taylor "has long been in search of a person or group willing to buy in to a minority share" of the T'Wolves to "sit by his side for a few years and then eventually take over the team." However, after having "difficulty finding anyone open to riding shotgun first, Taylor opened discussions with Kaplan in November" (AP, 3/3).
TICKET BUYERS GO TO COURT: In St. Paul, Andy Greder writes that a class-action lawsuit on behalf of T'Wolves ticket buyers filed Thursday morning in Hennepin County District Court claims the team's "use of the digital marketplace Flash Seats makes it too hard for fans to exchange tickets, sell them on the secondary market or even give them away." The suit, which was filed by Minneapolis-based law firm Zimmerman Reed of Minneapolis, claims that the franchise's "new 'draconian' and 'cumbersome' policies produce 'economic harm' and violate contracts, state trade acts and antitrust laws." Season-ticket holders GLS Companies and James Mattson, the lead plaintiffs, "contend they were not adequately notified about changes in ticketing policy until after they agreed to spend $32,000 and $21,000, respectively, on season tickets" in '15-'16. Last season the T'Wolves and Lynx partnered with Flash Seats "to become the first professional sports teams to go" 100% digital for ticket sales (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 3/3).
