Timberwolves give Nuggets president Tim Connelly enormous contract

Jul 9, 2019; Marina del Rey, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns attends the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Timberwolves are going all-in on new team president Tim Connelly.

The Timberwolves have reportedly agreed to a contract with Connelly, who currently serves as team president of the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves are giving Connelly a five-year, $40 million deal that also includes a kicker for equity, according to Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic. The deal will make Connelly one of the highest-paid executives in the NBA and more than doubles what he was making with Denver.

Adding Connelly, a well-respected executive, is a clear statement of intent by new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. The Timberwolves, with a young core that includes Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, clearly believe they are poised to take the next step and become a major factor in the Western Conference. There was some skepticism when word emerged that the Timberwolves were targeting Connelly considering how entrenched he had been in Denver, but they have managed it.

Connelly is well-regarded as a talent evaluator, having built the bulk of the current Nuggets roster through astute drafting. He replaces Gersson Rosas, who was fired amid controversy last September.