When it comes to the recent history of the Minnesota Timberwolves, there are several reasons for their success. Anthony Edwards’ emergence as a legitimate superstar and Chris Finch’s work as head coach are a couple of reasons, but the biggest may be the hiring of Tim Connelly as president of basketball operations in 2022.
For a team that has cycled through decision-makers, Connelly was a big get after he arrived from the Denver Nuggets. But it came with a steep cost. Not only did Connelly earn a five-year, $40 million deal in 2022, but per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, he was given a significant bonus at the end of his contract.
“When Tim Connelly was brought on board, he was given something called phantom equity,” Windhorst explained. “He was basically given a stake in the team, but he didn’t actually get shares of the team, he got the equivalent of shares of the team that if he completed his contract, he would get a giant bonus. That bonus is in the five figures, and it’s not 10 million. It is a very sizeable bonus.”
While Glen Taylor mentioned this at Connelly's press conference, this detail hasn't been brought up much in the past four years. With Connelly's contract up after this season, the Timberwolves should get ready to back up the brink's truck again.
Tim Connelly’s fingerprints are all over the Timberwolves’ resurgence
Part of Connelly’s job was done when he came to Minnesota as Gersson Rosas built a sturdy foundation. The 2020 NBA Draft was a key turning point for the franchise as Edwards and Jaden McDaniels were selected in the first-round. Naz Reid was signed as an undrafted free agent the year before. But in five seasons on the job, Connelly has done his best to enhance that core.
The 2022 trade for Rudy Gobert hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but it acquired the type of All-Star player who wasn’t coming to Minnesota when Connelly arrived. A few months later, Connelly moved a disgruntled D’Angelo Russell for Mike Conley and Nickiel Alexander-Walker, and both players played key roles as Minnesota made back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals in 2024 and 2025.
Meanwhile, Connelly went to work finding bargains between the margins, signing Reid to a three-year, $42 million extension before he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award for the 2023-24 season. McDaniels’ five-year, $131 million contract extension has also been a bargain and could get even better if he assumes a bigger role offensively next season.
An aggressive mentality that helped acquire Ayo Dosunmu and LaMelo Ball in trades has also helped the Timberwolves achieve perennial contender status for the first time since Kevin Garnett was in uniform, and Connelly’s fingerprints could become more apparent with a core featuring several players under the age of 26.
This isn’t to say Connelly hasn’t had mistakes. Trading up for Rob Dillingham in the 2024 draft was a move that was too aggressive in hindsight. The Karl-Anthony Towns trade also stung more when he won an NBA championship with the New York Knicks last season, and the trade for Ball could bite him if he doesn’t acclimate to his new role and Reid becomes a star for the Charlotte Hornets.
Still, the good has clearly outweighed the bad in the Connelly era, and it would be tough to find a better replacement.
The Wolves should want to hammer out a contract extension with Connelly as soon as possible. Hopefully, the Timberwolves' recent ownership shift speeds up this process, because Connelly has proven he's worth every penny.
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