The Minnesota Timberwolves made their first big move of the offseason by keeping top executive Tim Connelly for at least another year.
Connelly has agreed to a restructured deal with the Timberwolves that will secure his services through the 2024-25 season, according to a report Tuesday from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Connelly has served as the Timberwolves’ president and general manager since 2022. The 48-year-old exec previously had an opt-out clause for the final year of his contract. His opt-out will reportedly get pushed to the end of next season.
Connelly was responsible for constructing the supporting cast around Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. He made the blockbuster trade to acquire Rudy Gobert in 2022 and made smaller deals for veteran guards Mike Conley Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Connelly also negotiated new contracts for rising superstar Anthony Edwards and key role players Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels.
Additionally, Connelly was the architect who built the foundation for the current iteration of the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
Despite the Timberwolves’ shortcomings in the 2024 Western Conference Finals, Minnesota’s stunning upset of the Nuggets in the second round reportedly raised Connelly’s perceived value around the league.
The extension provides stability within the Timberwolves’ front office. But the same cannot be said of the team’s ownership and coaching staff.
Current team owner Glen Taylor is still at odds with prospective buyers Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez.
One key member of the team’s coaching staff also appears to be drawing interest from other teams.
