One of the bigger stories to come out of media day in Minnesota Timberwolves land was that lead executive Tim Connelly still hasn't signed an extension with the Wolves. As a refresher, Connelly is entering the final season of his deal and has built this talented Timberwolves team through several bold moves. With an extension not in place this close to the season, some fans could be reasonably concerned.
Thankfully, Connelly once again reaffirmed that he wants to stay in Minnesota.
“Yeah, I’m super happy here. We had our third kid here; we feel really part of this Minnesota community and just focused on continuing to build and continuing to win games” Connelly said.
"I think there's been opportunities perhaps that could have been pursued elsewhere, but very happy with where we are both personally and professionally," Connelly said.
While appearing on The Jon Krawczynski Show this summer, Connelly made a similar statement.
"We're super locked in in Minnesota; we couldn't be more excited. We've had some opportunities elsewhere, but this is kind of home. We think this team is going to be special; the organization has been fantastic. I've been super lucky," Connelly said.
Even without an extension finalized, I have confidence that Connelly is here to stay for several reasons.
A Tim Connelly-Timberwolves extension seems inevitable at some point
Retaining Connelly should be seen as a positive, and an extension should be a priority. His willingness to make bold moves is somewhat polarizing. Without a doubt, though, he's helped put the Wolves in a position to succeed.
The Rudy Gobert trade helped the Wolves become a legitimate playoff threat and gave Anthony Edwards some experience playing meaningful basketball from a young age.
This offseason, he reset the roster by trading for LaMelo Ball and signing Jonathan Kuminga. Ball solves the Wolves' lack of playmaking and creation alongside Ant, while Kuminga rounds out the starting five nicely.
The Wolves' roster improved in both the short and long term by adding Ball this summer, and he's an ideal fit alongside Edwards. He's also made some great margin moves, like trading for Ayo Dosunmu.
Simply put, Connelly is one of the league's best executives, and keeping him around is a no-brainer.
While entering the season without an extension in place could be seen as a concern to some fans, the reality is that Connelly has continuously expressed his desire to stay in Minnesota. Furthermore, he has turned down possible opportunities elsewhere.
Connelly has helped transform the Timberwolves into title contenders, and after all the bold moves he's made, it would be surprising if he didn't want to see this vision through. Likewise, if he were to leave, would he really find a team that's better equipped to win a title? I doubt it.
Another important factor: Minnesota's ownership group clearly values Connelly. They gave him a sizable five-year, $40 million contract back in 2022. In fairness, Marc Stad, not Marc Lore, is now the majority owner. Regardless, Stad was still involved in the process of landing Connelly, and Alex Rodriguez is still in the fold.
Considering how much they value him, I'd be surprised if they weren't willing to pay up for a new contract. Could it be tricky to pinpoint the exact value? Sure, and given that no deal is in place to date, this feels likely.
That doesn't mean something won't happen at some point soon or during the season, though. And there are no signs of a disconnect between the two parties. In fact, ownership was fully in lockstep with Connelly's aggressive roster changes this summer, despite the Wolves' payroll increasing.
Now, ownership may want to see how the new roster additions play out, before nailing an exact number. Again, though, that shouldn't scare fans.
By all accounts, Connelly staying in Minnesota long-term feels likely to me, despite him not having a deal in place shortly before the season.
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