Tim Connelly, president of the Denver Nuggets basketball business, has agreed to a five-year deal of over $ 40 million, including ownership to oversee the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball business, sources told ESPN. rice field.
The wolf announced hiring on Monday, but did not announce the terms of the contract.
With this deal, Connelly will become one of the NBA’s top-paying executives and transform the Timberwolves franchise, which has struggled to find a stable leadership structure.
Connelly talked extensively about the work last week with Timberwolves minority owners Mark Roar and Alex Rodriguez, and met with Majority owner Glen Taylor in Minnesota on Saturday. He said.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited to join the Timberwolves organization,” Connelly said in a statement. “Thanks to Glenn, Becky, Mark and Alex for their confidence in leading this organization. I can’t wait to get to work to build an elite franchise that fans can be proud of. Hmm.”
Nuggets Governor Josh Kroenke bid to keep Connelly, but the proposal to make Connelly one of the high-paying league executives was still dwarfed by Timberwolves’ large-scale proposal, sources said. Only a handful of top league executives have ownership fairness as part of the transaction.
Connelly has long professed closeness and dedication to the Western Conference candidates and organizations he has built up in the Nuggets, but for the second year in a row to leave Denver and make far more lucrative offers elsewhere. Became a top basketball executive. Connelly replaced Masaiujiri, who left Denver for the Toronto Raptors in 2013.
Denver is expected to continue with Calvin Booth, the general manager of the organization, sources said.
Connelly has built a reputation as one of the league’s top talent evaluators and trading makers, maintaining strong relationships with top player agents and the respect of front office associates.Connelly has a strong relationship with two MVPs Nikola Jokić, He drafted in the 41st Comprehensive Pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Jokić is eligible for a contract extension this summer.
Ready to take over majority ownership from Taylor in 2023, Lore hired Connelly and insisted on their partnership together.
Connelly was in regular contact with Kroenke about the process and was considering the Nuggets counter, but the historic nature of Minnesota’s offer has become unmissable, sources said.
In Minnesota, provisional GM Sachin Gupta was stationed after Gersson Rosas was dismissed before the season.
Connelly declined the opportunity to become Washington Wizards’ top basketball executive three years ago and chose to stay in the Nuggets. He grew up in Baltimore and spent the first few years of his front office career in Washington.
Connelly has made the Nuggets a candidate for the Western Conference for nine years, but the injured have shorted the franchise in the last two years after competing in the 2020 conference finals.
The Timberwolves reached the Western Conference playoffs this season and lost to Memphis in the six-game opening round series.Minnesota has a core of young talent-including 1st place on the overall pick Anthony Edwards And All Star Center Karl-Anthony Towns -It could make the franchise formidable over the years to come.
