Who are the Ishbia brothers? Everything Twins fans need to know

The Ishbia brothers are reportedly interested in buying the Twins from the Pohlad family.

Feb 8, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (left) and brother Justin Ishbia hug during an introductory press conference at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

If Mat and Justin Isbhia, the billionaire brothers who own the NBA and WNBA franchises in Phoenix, wind up buying the Minnesota Twins, it will be a new era that could see a smaller market franchise start to spend like a large market team.

Mat, the chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, purchased the NBA's Suns in December 2022, with Justin as part of the ownership group. Mat's net worth is estimated at around $10 billion, while Justin's is north of $5 billion.

Three days after their purchase of the Suns was approved, the Suns traded for superstar Kevin Durant and the Ishbias signed him to a four-year, $194 million contract. The Suns also, in 2023, traded for Bradley Beal, who was just one year into a five-year, $251 million contract. Add in Devin Booker's $224 million supermax deal and the Suns are paying three players a combined $150 million for the 2024-25 season.

Whether their spending habits with their NBA team would translate to baseball is unknown, but Dan Hayes, who covers the Twins for The Athletic, put it like this: "One reason [Twins] fans should be very excited for this possibility: Friend of the Ishbia family described them as 'go big or go home.'" Unlike the NBA, there's no salary cap or luxury tax in MLB.

Not only that, but the Ishbias intentionally removed Suns games from cable earlier this year and made all games free to watch on local channels. “We're not focusing on money. We're focusing on winning," Mat said at the time.

Twins games in 2025 will be produced by Major League Baseball and made available via subscription through cable, satellite and streaming services.

According to Bloomberg, Justin would be the controlling partner if the Ishbias purchase the Twins. He "has been meeting with local community leaders across the state to learn more about the community and the opportunity to carry on the Twins legacy," Bloomberg reported.

It's not just the Suns that the Ishbias have supported. In 2023, they announced plans for $100+ million for a new, state of the art practice facility for the Phoenix Mercury.

“We think the WNBA has a lot of room to grow and so we want to show, ‘Hey, we’re putting our money where our mouth is. We’re investing in the women and helping them to become even better, because I love the game,'" Mat said, according to the Arizona Republic.

In 2021, Mat donated $32 million as a gift to Michigan State University's athletics department. Mat was a walk-on with the Spartans men's basketball team and played under coach Tom Izzo during MSU's run of three consecutive trips to the Final Four, including the national championship-winning season in 2000.

The Ishbias, who combined are worth more than three times than the estimated net worth of the Pohlads ($4 billion), are known for being all about building championship-caliber programs. If they wind up owning the Twins, things could change dramatically for a baseball franchise that has historically avoided spending the money it takes to sign the biggest stars.