Recently, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports released his front office rankings of all 30 NBA teams. The Minnesota Timberwolves ranked 11th. This isn’t inherently a low ranking. However, given that the Wolves have made back-to-back Western Conference Finals and have seemingly built a team poised to compete for titles around Anthony Edwards for years to come, this feels too low. Furthermore, Tim Connelly’s track record as the original architect behind the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship needs to be considered. Let’s further explore why the Wolves are deserving of at least a top 10 spot.
The 76ers and Jazz shouldn't rank above the Wolves
There are several teams that likely don't belong above the Wolves. However, the most egregious ones are the Philadelphia 76ers at nine and the Utah Jazz at eight. Undoubtedly, Danny Ainge and Daryl Morey have great track records with the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, respectively. However, what they’ve done with their current teams isn’t up to these standards.
Ainge did maximize the value for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Regardless, entering the fourth year of their rebuild, the Jazz have yet to find a franchise star or even any clear keepers for that matter.
Since taking over as the president of basketball operations for Philly in 2020, Morey has yet to get the team over the hump. While getting James Harden in exchange for Ben Simmons was a win, Morrey followed this up with poor negotiation tactics, leading Harden to demand a trade. Morey’s clear mistake was signing Paul George to a four-year $211 million contract last summer.
Say what you will about the Wolves' trades for Gobert and Julius Randle, but Connelly and Co. have never made a mistake close to the Sixers’ PG blunder. Additionally, if the man who drafted the biggest steal of all time in Nikola Jokić had as many opportunities as Utah in the draft, he surely would have hit on at least one. Overall, if Connelly were to switch places with Morey or Ainge, those teams would be in a better spot.
The Wolves improved their ranking since February
It’s worth noting the No. 11 spot is a bump up from Quinn’s 18th ranking of the Wolves in February. Quinn notes that February’s ranking was in large part due to the Wolves ownership dispute, which has since been settled. It’s understandable that the Wolves were penalized for this uncertainty, and as Quinn notes, most front offices are competent, so you can be splitting hairs in some cases.
Nevertheless, both 18th and 11th seem a bit low in my eyes. The Wolves have built a team around Edwards that is suited to compete for titles both now and in the future. With Randle, Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, and Mike Conley, the Wolves have the experience needed to win a title. However, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr., Rob Dillingham, Joan Beringer, and Jaylen Clark are all 25 or younger. McDaniels and Reid are already proven contributors to winning basketball while the other four young players are poised to develop.
Ultimately, how the Wolves are maximizing their title window with Edwards, and considering that Connelly has yet to make a serious mistake, they are clearly one of the league’s best front offices.