Timberwolves fined over Miami pre-season practice

FILE–Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and D’Angelo Russell #0 of the Minnesota Timberwolve. Harrison Barden/Getty Images/AFP 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been fined $250,000 by the NBA after holding a pre-season training camp in Miami, the league said Monday.

The Timberwolves visited Miami in September for events which included a party at new minority owner Alex Rodriguez’s mansion.

But the trip to Florida came with a hefty price tag, with the team in violation of NBA rules which prohibit clubs staging offseason practices and workouts outside a team’s home market.

US media reports have said the trip was paid for by former major league baseball star Rodriguez and business partner Marc Lore.

Rodriguez and Lore joined the Timberwolves ownership group earlier this year in a deal worth $1.5 billion.

The duo are expected to take over full control of the team from long-time owner Glen Taylor in 2023.

The Timberwolves have made a slow start to the season, with four wins and eight defeats leaving them 12th in the Western Conference standings.