4 Genius Timberwolves moves President Tim Connelly nailed

Since being hired as the Minnesota Timberwolves' President of Basketball Operations in May 2022, Tim Connelly has certainly been a polarizing figure. When he greenlit the trade for Rudy Gobert just six weeks into his tenure, he immediately split the fanbase.

There was certainly reason for pause from Timberwolves fans given some of Connelly's moves in the past, like when he nearly traded Jamal Murray while with the Denver Nuggets. But in due time, he would show everyone why he is one of the most savvy executives in the association.

Over the course of the last 20 months, Connelly has made some positively genius moves, some of which were obvious at the time, and others that were not. These are four of his most notable achievements as the Timberwolves' President.

1. Re-signing Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Connelly was tasked with evaluating three key players who would be due for an extension at season's end. The decision to empty the bank for Anthony Edwards was probably already an obvious choice, but there were questions about what deals for less proven players like Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid would look like.

As the season progressed last year, it became increasingly obvious that McDaniels and Reid were vital pieces to this team's core, and that both should be kept around for the right price. In properly gauging market value, Connelly crafted excellent contract extensions for both.

The Timberwolves agreed to a five-year, $136 million deal with McDaniels and a three-year, $42 million extension for Reid. Both were ultimately great value deals for each player's talent, and allowed this team to continue building consistency by retaining some of the most underrated players in the NBA.