NEWSLETTER
We got a massive front-office shake-up on our hands, folks!
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver Nuggets President Tim Connelly has officially decided to leave the organization for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Viewed as one of the NBA’s top executives, he will now get paid like one with a contract worth more than $40 million over the next five years.
Connelly will sign a 5-year, $40M-plus deal that includes ownership equity, sources said. Massive deal and franchise changing move for the Timberwolves.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 23, 2022
Rumors have swirled for days that T-Wolves minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were in hot pursuit of the Nuggets’ front office leader. With All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and 2020 No. 1-overall pick Anthony Edwards on the roster, there is no question Connelly will begin his tenure with a solid foundation, especially one season after the franchise returned to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons (and only the second time since the 2003-04 season).
Connelly departs Denver two years after right-hand man and GM Arturas Karnisovas left to join the Chicago Bulls. In other words, the organization has now lost the two executives who were essentially responsible for building the competitive team we see today. When that’s the case, it’s hard not to wonder what the future might hold for the franchise, as a whole.
Will Calvin Booth – who took over as GM for Karnisovas and is now expected to take over as President, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania – look to keep things the same or move pieces around? And what about the Nuggets’ top talent? While all expectations should be for Nikola Jokic to sign a massive new extension for the franchise this summer, there is no telling what impact the loss of Karnisovas and Connelly could have on his view of the organization moving forward.
Conversely, we have to think about what this could mean for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Big front office signings normally come tied to big roster changes. I think many expect Towns and Edwards to maintain their place as building blocks, but what about D’Angelo Russell or Malik Beasley? How about improving role players like Jarred Vanderbilt or Naz Reid?
All of this could be important to keep in mind as we think about how the Chicago Bulls might maneuver the offseason. There is no question Karnisovas has a close relationship with Connelly and a handful of players still on the Nuggets roster. Could that result in attracting some talent from Denver to come to Chicago? What about working on trades for some Minnesota role players? In today’s NBA, it’s all about who you know.
