So the Minnesota Timberwolves have a new team president named Tim Connelly. Besides the fact that he is a likable guy and that he is coming from the Denver Nuggets, what other tidbits do we know about the guy?
Well, he won’t be shy, that’s for sure. Fortune favors the bold, and he is not one to be paid top-dollar as an NBA President with equity options and sit back and wait for opportunities to come to him. On the contrary, he is cut from the bolt of movers and shakers’ cloth. Or as one cartoon about two buzzards was captioned:
“Patience hell. I’m going to go kill something.”
And so, that could be the mantra of the Minnesota Timberwolves, couldn’t it? Well, by Connely’s own words, that is the take on his approach to this year’s NBA Draft.
Tim Connelly on the NBA draft: "I really like to scout. I really like to watch games. It's one of my favorite times of the year." Adds that he's not trying to fix something that's not broken in Minnesota, but also this: "We can't be governed by fear, we have to be aggressive."
— John Meyer (@meyerNBA) May 31, 2022
So what does that mean in practical terms? Well, we expected Connelly to be open to trades, but this statement means that he could be the one initiating the calls. How so? Well, we had speculated over the fact that the Timberwolves have enough second-round firepower to trade back into round one of the 2022 NBA Draft if they had reason to do so.
But in light of the new “We have to be aggressive,” claim by Connelly, that may be more than speculation. In fact, that could mean that the Timberwolves may be targeting a Top-10 pick in this year’s draft if they believe a prospect warrants that much value.
Of course, it may not be limited to the 2022 NBA Draft at all. Connelly is very versed in the NBA horse-trading strategy of roster building and may look to use his insights about the Denver Nuggets and now Minnesota Timberwolves to his advantage in setting up an NBA Trade.
However else you see the Timberwolves offseason, one thing is absolutely certain. This will not be a snooze fest. Stock up on popcorn, ladies, and gentlemen. The feature is about to begin.