The Denver Nuggets have produced some of the most well respected front office executives in the league over the last decade, headlined by Masai Ujiri, but also including Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.
Tim Connelly, their current president, also fits in that category and it appears he might be joining Ujiri and Karnisovas in exploring a new opportunity outside of Denver this offseason, as Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic report the Minnesota Timberwolves are in “serious talks” with Connelly to take over their vacant president of basketball operations post.
The Timberwolves are in serious talks with Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly about the franchise’s vacant President of Basketball Operations role, sources tell The Athletic. The Timberwolves recently requested permission from the Nuggets to speak with Connelly, and the sides have moved beyond exploratory conversations, sources said.
There have been no agreements reached yet, and nothing appears imminent, sources said.
The Timberwolves are looking to add Connelly into the vacancy left by Gersson Rosas after he was fired prior to the season amid a scandal involving him having an affair with a staffer and allegations of a toxic workplace culture. Per Charania and Krawczynski, Sachin Gupta, who was elevated to the top spot in the Minnesota front office when Rosas was fired, would be expected to remain in his position as a major decision-maker but would answer to Connelly.
For Denver, it would mean starting over now that Karnisovas (formerly the GM below Connelly) is in Chicago, and would be the second time that their lead basketball executive left for a better offer. Minnesota’s new ownership is clearly looking to spend to build on what they did this year in making the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and adding Connelly would give them another respected voice as they look to continue upgrading the roster.